


Mother of Flames

by Lone_Wolf_Fanfics



Series: Dragon Age Fan Fics [5]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Dragon Age (Comics), Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Anders (Dragon Age) Lives, BAMF Daenerys Targaryen, Breaker of chains, Cullen Rutherford Fluff, Daenerys Targaryen Deserves Better, Daenerys Theirin, Daenerys Trevelyan, Dothraki, Dragon Age: Inquisition Spoilers, Dragon Riders, Dragons, F/M, Fereldan Culture and Customs, Ferelden (Dragon Age), Grey Wardens, Haven (Dragon Age), Inquisition Agents (Dragon Age), Inquisition Mounts (Dragon Age), King Alistair (Dragon Age), King Alistair and Queen Cousland, Mage Daenerys, Mages (Dragon Age), Orlais (Dragon Age), Queen Cousland (Dragon Age), Slavery, Sweet Cullen Rutherford, Templars, The Unsullied (ASoIaF), Varric Tethras is a Good Friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 11:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 33,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21456952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lone_Wolf_Fanfics/pseuds/Lone_Wolf_Fanfics
Summary: When Daenerys attended the Conclave, she, along with all the other rebel mages, was hoping for peace to be brokered, what she didn't expect for the Temple of Sacred Ashes to be destroyed in a horrifying explosion that killed all in attending, except for her.She wakes in chains accused of mass genocide and blamed for the giant tear in the fade that threatens to swallow the whole of Thedas.Proving her innocence whilst leading a 'heretical' organization was not how she saw her future playing out, but it might just be the only way she can make a better world.
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Daenerys Targaryen, Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan, Cullen Rutherford/Original Character(s), Cullen Rutherford/Original Female Character(s), Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford
Series: Dragon Age Fan Fics [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/878433
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37





	1. Daenerys Theirin/Trevelyan

**Birth Name:** Daenerys Theirin

**Other Name(s):** Daenerys Stormborn. Daenerys Trevelyan. Daenerys de Chalons

**Nickname:** Dany

**Titles:**

Princess of Orlais

Princess of Ferelden

**Eventual Titles:**

Herald Of Andraste

Lady Inquisitor

Mother of Dragons

The Unburnt

Protector of the Seven Kingdoms (Tevinter Imperium, Ferelden, Orlais, Anderfels, Antiva, Free Marches, and Nevarra)

Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea

Breaker of Chains

Princess of Skyhold

Comtesse in Kirkwall

Inquisitor First-Flame

**Also known as:**

Daenerys of the House Theirin, the First of Her Name

Daernerys of House de Chalons, the first of Her Name

Daenerys of the House Trevelyan, the First of Her Name

Heir to the throne of Ferelden

Heir to the throne of Orlais

The Princess Across the Mountains

The Silver Princess

The Dragon Princess

The Princess That Was Promised

The Dragon's Daughter

**Allegiance:**

House Trevelyan

House Theirin

House de Chalons

Rebel Mages

People of Thedas

The Inquisition

**Her full title is:** Daenerys Stormborn of House Trevelyan, the First of Her Name, Princess of Ferelden, Princess of Orlais, Herald of Andraste, Lady Inquisitor, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains.

It is occasionally shortened to Daenerys of the House Trevelyan, the First of Her Name, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons.

**YOB:** 9:16

**Age:** 26 (DA:I)

**Locations:**

Halamshiral, Orlais (Birthplace)

Denerim, Ferelden (First 5 years)

Ostwick Circle of Magi, Ostwick; Free Marches (5+ and then Circle of Magi until she was 15)

The White Spire, Val Royeux; Orlais (15 until Mage Rebellion)

Haven, Ferelden

**Class:** Rogue-Mage (Unique Class)

\- Elemental (Flames and Fire)

\- Blood of the Great Dragons (Connection to Dragons through Calenhad's blood, made more powerful as a mage)

\- Daenerys makes use of little knives which are usually sewn into her sleeves and coat.

**Family:**

King Maric Theirin (Father) †

Grand Duchess Florianne de Chalons (Mother)

Bann Trevelyan (Adopted Father/Uncle)

Lady Catelina Trevelyan (Adopted Mother/Paternal Relative)

King Cailan Theirin (Paternal Older Half-Brother) †

King Alistair Theirin (Paternal Older Half-Brother)

Rhaegar 'Anders' Trevelyan (Adopted Older Brother)

Viserys Trevelyan (Adopted Older Brother) †

Anora Mac Tir (Sister-in-law via Cailan)

Queen Roshelle Cousland (Sister-in-law via Alistair)

Annabelle Hawke (Future Sister-in-law via Rhaegar/Anders)

Gaspard de Chalons (Maternal Uncle)

Empress Celene I (Maternal First cousin, once removed)

Brandel Theirin (Paternal Great-Grandfather) †

Moira Theirin (Paternal Grandmother) †

Rowan Theirin (Step-Mother via Maric) †

Calenhad Theirin (Paternal Ancestor) †

Emperor Judicael I (Maternal Great-Grandfather) †

Catrin of Hossberg (Maternal Great-Grandmother) †

Theodore de Chalons (Maternal Grandfather) †

Princess Melisande (Maternal Grandmother) †

Lady Calienne de Ghislain (Aunt via Gaspard de Chalons) †

**Bio:**

Daenerys Theirin (born 9:17 Dragon, also known as 'Daenerys Stormborn', 'Daenerys de Chalons', and 'Daenerys Trevelyan')

_"I spent my life in foreign lands. So many men have tried to kill me, I don't remember all their names. I have been sold like a broodmare. I've been chained and betrayed, raped and defiled. Do you know what kept me standing through all those years? Faith. Not in any gods. Not in myths and legends. In myself. In Daenerys Targaryen"_ ― Daenerys Trevelyan to Mother Giselle

Daenerys I Trevelyan, also known as Daenerys Stormborn, colloquially known as Dany, is the biological daughter of King Maric and Grand Duchess Florianne de Chalons.

On the night Daenerys was born, a severe summer storm raged. For this reason, she is called "Daenerys Stormborn".

As a baby, she was taken to Denerim to live with Maric, his wife Rowan and his son Cailan. 

By the time she was five, too many attempts on her life pushed Maric to send Daenerys to Ostwick and give her to Catelina, a distant relative. Catelina could not have children herself so she and her husband would adopt orphans and raise them as Trevelyan's, including Rhaegar and Viserys before Daenerys.

Daenerys' heritage was never kept from her, and up until 9:25 Maric would visit with Cailan as often as they could. Florianne was less interested in her existence, but Gaspard would visit bringing gifts from across Thedas for her.

When Daenerys presented as a mage, she was sent to the Ostwick circle, though she was treated much better than many of the mages there, she was still a mage in the eyes of the templars.

Cailan would still visit her in the circle, even after Maric's disappearance. Cailan seemed to take her as his sister without argument and without care that she was a mage, even writing to her on several occasions before his death, claiming he was more afraid than he let on to others.

On her 16th birthday, she was allowed to return home for the day, here she accepted a variety of gifts. She receives three dragon eggs from Magister Halward Pavus, who tells her that they have been turned to stone by the passage of time and that they were not from him, that he was merely the deliverer. When Daenerys asked who had given them to him, to give to her, he claimed he did not remember. These eggs were from Yavana, a witch of the wilds that once encountered Daenerys' father, Maric. The eggs came with a note reading:

_ **"The blood of dragons is the blood of the world. Your heart beats with the same blood. It sings of a time when dragons ruled the skies. A time before the Veil, before the mysteries were forgotten. I wonder.....Will you heed it?"** _

Gaspard de Chalons sent books about the Seven Kingdoms.

She was given a beautiful white mare (later known as "the silver") by Alistair. Daenerys said that the mare was beautiful and sent a letter of thanks to Alistair.

Back in the circle, Daenerys spent time studying her dragon eggs. Despite Halward's claim that they were now only stone, she pondered if they might be hatched by extreme heat, and placed an egg on a brazier. Nothing happened, to her disappointment. She was removing the egg from the brazier when a fellow mage, Drogo comes in and thinks Daenerys will burn herself. Drogo took the egg from her, but Daenerys was completely unharmed, and it was Drogo who suffered burns on his own hands.

Daenerys would be a "Queen Regnant" because she inherited the throne in her own right from her father. In contrast, Anora was a "Queen Consort" and was called "Queen" only because she was married to the ruling king, Cailan.

**Personality:**

_Celene: "Orlais and Ferelden need someone stronger than Alistair but gentler than I. A monarch who could intimidate the Lords and inspire the people. A ruler loved by millions, with a powerful army, and the right family name."_

_Gaspard: "Good luck finding him."_

_Briala: "Who said anything about 'him'?"_

_Gaspard: "The people will not follow a mage"_

_Celene: "They already are"_ \- Celene, Gaspard, and Briala at the Winter Palace discussing the possibility of Ferelden and Orlais having one ruler, Daenerys.

Daenerys is polite and well-spoken but filled with quiet determination. As a child and young woman, she was easily cowed by the templars in the circle. She was also somewhat naive of the world at that point, due to being young and living her life in the Circle. But her time amongst the rebel mages taught her pride, confidence, and the skills of command. At the same time, her own intelligence began to manifest, and she was quick to understand that she was now free to pursue her own path.

Daenerys has never known a true home, and constantly living under templar domination has given her great empathy with the downtrodden of the world: She is deeply sympathetic to those she perceived as oppressed, while at the same time, her pent-up frustration from years of being dominated by templars has made Daenerys capable of utter ruthlessness against those she perceived as oppressing others. This experience caused Daenerys to develop a largely black-and-white worldview, and she can be idealistic to a fault.

Despite her perceived confidence and ruthlessness, Daenerys has displayed surprisingly tender emotion and at times can appear quite vulnerable, at least in private. Her fondness for children has been shown multiple times, often taking charge of the younger mages.

Daenerys takes care to surround herself with experienced and capable warriors who can advise her and help coordinate her battles. She also has a clear sense of strategy, if not specific tactics; she knows how to win battles in such a way to leave herself in the strongest position possible, and avoided engagements that will result in heavy casualties, in order to conserve and protect the troops at her disposal.

Daenerys reciprocates the loyalty of those who follow her with gratitude and compassion, especially towards her inner circle of friends and her dragons.

** Magical Powers: **

**Flashfire:** Daenerys ignites an enemy in searing pain and sends them fleeing in panic.

**Immolate:** Daenerys unleashes a massive explosion, leaving enemies in the area burning in agony.

**Fire Mine:** Daenerys marks the ground with a glyph that takes a short time to prime. Once it is ready, it will erupt into flame when an enemy crosses it, damaging and staggering the target.

**Wall of Fire:** Daenerys conjures a flaming barrier that burns and panics enemies that pass through it.

**Flame Blast:** Daenerys' hands erupt with a cone of flame.

**Flaming Weapons:** Daenerys enchants the melee weapons of her companions with flame.

**Inferno:** Daenerys summons a huge column of swirling flame.

**Firestorm:** Daenerys summons flaming meteors, raining fire down upon enemies.

**Blood of the Great Dragons:** The blood of the Great dragons can confer enormous power, and Daenerys proves this when wielding her magic. According to Aurelian Titus, the Dreamers of ancient times commanded The Fade. The last Tevinter magisters were close to reclaiming this power, and "All they needed was the blood of the Great dragons." He further states, "With it, I have tapped the power of gods." This implies that Daenerys magic is unmatched in modern Thedas but as she rarely resorts to using it this is unknown.

**Dragonfire:** The Great dragon blood gives Daenerys the ability to wield a magic called dragonfire. (It is very mana costly)

**Abilities:**

**Fire Immunity:** Daenerys is immune to both fire and damage by heat.

**Dragon riding:** Daenerys is a capable dragon rider who uses an adult Drogon as her mount.

**Arcane Study:** Daenerys was very studious whilst in the Circle, and as such, has knowledge of many arcane subjects.

**Linguistics:** Daenerys studied many languages whilst at the Circle, often translating texts for fun. She is one of the very few outsiders that read and speak Dothraki.

**Dracology:** Daenerys is well versed in the study of dragons and all things dragon related

**Pairing:** Cullen Rutherford

** Clothing: **

**Armor:**

**Haven**

**Meeting Nobles (Haven)**

**Halamshiral**

**Skyhold**

**Sitting in Judgement, Meeting Nobles (Skyhold)**

**Meeting with Refugees and Residents of Skyhold**


	2. Dragons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a chapter explaining dragons, including the involvement of Dany's dragons in the Thedas world.

**Dragons**

Dragons are massive, flying reptiles that can breathe fire. They are rumored to have a strong connection to magic, which seems to be proven true when magic begins to strengthen after the birth of the first three Great Dragons in over two hundred years.

Dragons possess awesome and devastating power, capable of laying waste to armies and burning entire cities to ashes.

During the Mage Rebillion, Daenerys Trevelyan is in possession of three petrified dragon eggs. They were given to her as a brithday gift, beautiful to look upon and valuable beyond comprehension, but otherwise useless. However, in a shocking display of old magic, Daenerys will miraculously hatch the eggs, impressing and surprising even Solas.

Dragons prefer to live in old ruins and cave complexes. Through the Steel Age, humans often destroyed such locations to discourage dragons from nesting close to settlements. Such precautions fell out of practice after dragon hunters from Nevarra hunted them to near-extinction. Most people thought that dragons had been extinct for centuries, but a notable rampage by a high dragon during the end of the Blessed Age caused Divine Faustine II to name the next Age as the Dragon Age.

Not all humans are hostile to dragons. The "dragon cults" of legend were notorious for their fanatic devotion to their particular high dragon. And in modern Thedas, the Dothraki are renowned for worshipping the Great Dragon, and revere the species somewhat.

Although much remains unknown, evidence suggests that high dragons may allow such devoted humans to assist in the care of dragonlings in exchange for dragon blood.

Yavana says that there was a time "before the Veil, before the mysteries were forgotten," when dragons ruled the skies. Furthermore, she spoke in Dothraki to her high dragon, implying that the Dothraki took to using the language of the dragons as their native tongue.

The scientific study of dragons and their relatives, like Wyverns and Varghests, is called "Draconology" and is taught at the University of Orlais by Professor Frederic. Examinations show that the bodies of dragons form natural cysts around infections with the Taint, making them unusually resistant to the blight disease in contrast to other species.

"Dragons are intelligent, more intelligent than men according to some. They have affection for their friends and fury for their enemies." - Daenerys to Josephine

**Types of Dragons:**

**Dragonling:**

High Dragons begin their lives within eggs. A newly hatched high dragon is called a dragonling. These sinuous, wingless creatures are born in large numbers, as only a few ever survive to maturity, and are roughly the size of a deer. They have voracious appetites, but lack the features that distinguish their elders of their gender. Dragonlings usually remain with their mothers until they reach adulthood and venture out on their own.

**Drake:**

Male high dragons never develop into the winged monsters of myth. Their forelegs grow only vestigial spurs where wing membranes would be in female dragons.

Drakes seek out the lairs of high dragons immediately after reaching maturity. Often several drakes will linger around the home of a high dragon, each hoping to receive approval. Once a drake is selected by a high dragon, he will be monogamous for life. Drakes defend their potential nest aggressively, and many would-be dragon hunters have lost their lives to a drake's fiery breath or a crushing blow from its tail.

Drakes are a step up from dragonlings.

**Dragon:**

Female dragons take much longer to mature than their male counterparts. They too undergo a metamorphosis of sorts at adulthood; But while males lose the use of their forepaws, females actually grow a third set of limbs specifically to serve as wings.

Young females travel great distances looking for a suitable nesting site. Because of their nomadic habits, these are the dragons most frequently encountered by man.

It is rare to find even one, much less several of them altogether.

**Mature dragon:**

Mature dragons are mature female dragons, becoming significantly larger than the normal Dragon but lower than High Dragon. Thus, they are between the two in power.

**High dragon:**

High dragons are venerable female dragons. They are the monsters of legend and one of the most powerful of all dragonkind. The high dragon will excavate a massive lair for herself in order to accommodate her harem of drakes, eggs, and dragonlings. Its scales are purple rather than green in contrast to other dragons.

High dragons rarely leave their lairs; they prefer to spend their time sleeping, mating, and living off the prey their drakes bring back. However, roughly once every century, the high dragon will prepare for clutching by taking wing. Commonly known as a rampage, she will fly far and wide for weeks, eating hundreds of animals, to support her growing dragonlings. Leaving devastation in her wake, she then returns to her lair to lay her eggs, restarting the cycle of dragons.

**Great dragon:**

An ancient form of dragon, distinct from High dragons. They were active in the time of Calenhad Theirin. They are the rarest of their kind, though it seems all except five have died out, and one of the remaining is referred to as the "Dragon queen", and three of the remaining are in Daenery's possession. They are believed to be highly intelligent and capable of being ridden.

All Great Dragons breath only fire, it is unknown why.

**Archdemon:**

No one knows what it is that drives the darkspawn in their relentless search for the sleeping Old Gods. Perhaps it is instinct, as moths will fly into torch flames. Perhaps there is some remnant of desire for vengeance upon the ones who goaded the magisters to assault heaven. Whatever the reason, when darkspawn find one of these ancient dragons, it is immediately afflicted by the taint. It awakens twisted and corrupted, and leads the darkspawn in a full-scale invasion of the land: a Blight.

The archdemon, while not an actual dragon in the traditional sense, appears somewhat similar to one once it has been awoken by darkspawn during a Blight. Despite not looking very different from other large dragons, Archdemons are immensely more powerful and intelligent than high dragons, serving as the masterminds of darkspawn hordes during the Blights they lead against the world.

**Spectral dragon:**

The Queen of the Blackmarsh was once a large high dragon, that was wreaking havoc on the village of Blackmarsh and killing everyone that attempted to dispose of her. However, when the new Orlesian baroness heard of her people's plight, she went alone to the dragon. After a brief amount of time and a loud noise, she returned to the village and the high dragon was never seen again.

**Red Lyrium Dragon:**

The Red Lyrium Dragon was originally a High Dragon that was subdued by Corypheus after his awakening. Infused with Red Lyrium its shape was twisted to somewhat resemble an Archdemon, the creature became the main vehicle of Corypheus power, as well as his personal mount.

**Dragon thrall:**

Dragon Thralls are normal dragons (as opposed to "Old Gods" and blighted high dragons) that were corrupted by the darkspawn taint, in the manner of Blight Wolves.

** History: **

**King Alistair:**

When King Alistair and his party were attacked in the Tellari Swamps by a dragon, the dragon halts and its mistress Yavana appears. Yavana reveals that the dragon did not attack Alistair because, as Yavana says, "She can smell the old blood in you, son of kings." Yavana lead the group to the Silent Grove, a haven for dragons from the ignorance and cruelty of mankind. She says that Flemeth saved King Maric Theirin's life years ago and that, as payment, "He was permitted to restore his kingdom and play ruler until his children were grown. But after, he was to come to me here." The nature of her bargain with Maric was not disclosed until later.

Yavana lead Alistair's party back to the Silent Grove, and allowed Alistair alone to follow her down into the pit within her sanctum. Watched by a dragon, they entered a huge cavern bathed in a blue glow and full of crystalline eggs. Yavana explained that they are in the Hall of Sleepers: when dragons were almost extinguished the few that remained were called by the builders of the temple to rest in it until awakened by power. Yavana revived a few that didn't die in their sleep and they became the first dragons to roam Thedas in many ages. But the Great ones were beyond her reach until Maric arrived: the blood of King Calenhad Theirin in Maric called to the Queen of dragons and awakened her. She revealed that Aurelian Titus took Maric to gain the power of his blood. Yavana then asked Alistair to awaken the last of the Great ones, thus absolving Maric of his promise to Flemeth. She tempted him with the suggestion that once recovered Maric can reclaim the throne and Alistair would be free of the unwanted burden of kingship. Alistair rejected her offer, saying that his purpose is justice, and ran Yavana through with his sword. Before leaving Alistair challenged the watching dragon but it did not harm him due to the power in his blood. As he left the cavern the dragon examined Yavana's body.

It is unknown if the dragon within the Hall of Sleepers is the Great dragon awakened by Maric or another High Dragon.

Later, Alistair's former companion Sten, now the Arishok, tells Alistair the Qunari version of the myth of King Calenhad, in which he gained the power to unite Ferelden by making a bargain with a mysterious witch to drink dragon blood, arguably becoming a Reaver in the process. The dragon slain by Calenhad was a Great dragon.

The missing King Maric is later discovered attached to the Magrallen, a Tevinter device empowered by Maric's blood via the Great dragon blood he carries, and which the magister Aurelian Titus is using to fuel his own magic in order to restore the glory of the Tevinter Imperium.

During the final battle with Alistair, his companions, and King Maric within the Fade, Aurelian Titus conjures the head of a Great dragon to attack Maric, saying "Die by what wrought you."

Based on Yavana's conversation with Alistair, there is one confirmed Great dragon awake and at large in Thedas: the Queen of the dragons. The last remaining Great dragon lies asleep and can only be awakened by the blood of the line of Calenhad. This number increases when Daenerys wakes her 'children', adding three more Great dragons to the world.

** Biology: **

Dragons have long serpentine bodies, with proportionately long necks and tails.

Great dragons appearance differs from those of the rest of the species. Their bodies have four limbs: two short back legs and two large wings as forelimbs, a body-plan similar to a bat.

High Dragons have six limbs - two wings growing out of their backs in addition to four legs. The teeth and claws of adult dragons are as long and sharp as swords.

Dragons are covered in scales, as well as spines that run down their backs from head to tail. Particularly large ridges of horns frame the edges of their faces, running along the back of the skull and along the jawline, which grow bigger as they mature. Adult dragons possess two sets of frills that run along the backs of their necks and spine, two along the sides of their necks and another two centered closer to the backbone, for a total of four frills. These are formed from webbing that grows between longer spines. When dragons are agitated (or simply excited), they raise and flare these frills - similar to how a furry animal like a cat will raise the hackles on its back when agitated (or a feathered animal such as a goose will puff up its feathers), in an attempt to appear bigger so as to intimidate its enemies.

Dragons are also shown to have a variety of calls, from shrieking roars to low growls or hisses. They can even squeal.

Dragons are obligate carnivores, with diets consisting entirely of meat. Dragons need to roast their prey with their fire-breath before consuming it. Dragons can eat almost any kind of meat, anything from sheep to fish. Historical dragons ridden as beasts of war were known to eat fallen horses and even men on the battlefield. Fully grown dragons could swallow a live horse whole.

The scale color of a Great Dragon is highly variable, and dragons range in color from black to silver, red, gold, and even blue. Some Great Dragons were one solid color throughout, but more often, they tend to have one primary color for most of their body, with highlights in a secondary color along their spinal crests, horns, and wing membranes.

In addition to the various scales hues observed between specimens, Great Dragons also displayed eye color variations. Great Dragons being reptiles, they have vertical slit pupils with large colored irises. Drogon and Rhaegal will have red eyes while their brother, Viserion, will have green eyes.

**Other:**

Probably the most famous attribute of High dragons is their ability to breathe fire, electricity, or ice.

Dragon flame can turn flesh to ash, melt steel, and crack stone. Older dragons can produce more intense flame for longer duration. The bodies of dragons are also very resistant to whatever they breath, particularly their own flames, which will not damage their own mouths as they expel them.

Some believe that in many ways dragons are fire, fire given form as flesh: it is said that "fire cannot kill a dragon".

Dragons, like birds, tend to imprint on whoever is present when they hatch, regarding that person as their parent.

Newly hatched dragons are about the size of a small cat, but they grow very rapidly, reaching the size of a small dog in about one month, and the size of a small pony in only three or four months.

When dragons hatch, they do have horns around their faces and along their spines, but they are still quite small and relatively rounded. Their horns grow increasingly longer and sharper as they mature, quickly making the dragon appear more dangerous and menacing to prey or other dragons. The four lines of webbed frills along a dragon's spine only grow to a prominent size after they are about a year old. The bigger the dragon is, the bigger its appetite.

When a dragon reaches adolescence, roughly when they are the size of a pony, they tend to be rebellious to a degree, much like how human teenagers are, even snarling at their imprinted parent. However, as they mature, this trait disappears.

**Training and riding:**

Dragons cannot be truly "tamed", but they can be bonded with and trained.

Dragons are fairly intelligent animals, and like a horse or a dog, they can be trained by their rider to respond to basic voice commands. If they are not trained they will quickly lay waste to anything around them. The key to training dragons is making sure they are well fed, a dragon with a full stomach is more obedient.

Since they cannot be truly tamed, dragons can be very dangerous even to their riders. However, they can form very strong bonds with their riders and will show affection and trust towards them. They will even nuzzle their riders, hoping to be petted.

Daenerys Trevelyan will train her three dragons to respond to vocal commands in their mother tongue. She often uses the command "Dracarys", to which her dragons respond by instantly breathing fire and burning anything in their path.

Only those who possess Calenhad blood (such as the Theirins) can bond with and ride dragons.

**Growth**

According to records, dragons hatch small - about the size of an average cat – growing larger as they age and as their appetites expand; physically, a dragon never stops growing as long as it remains fed.

**Feeding**

Dragons seem to prefer sheep as their main food (though they will eat any animal smaller than themselves if they are hungry enough).

**Vulnerabilities**

Aside from their ability to breathe elements, Great Dragons are ferociously strong. They are vulnerable to sustained arrow fire from the ground, to poison, and to attacks from other dragons. According to Daenerys – who has read books on the subject – a Great Dragon's eyes are its only real weak spot (not the throat or underbelly as old wives' tales claim), and that the only certain way to kill a dragon is to pierce its eyes deep enough to puncture the brain behind them. Only other Great Dragons are strong enough to pierce a dragon's scales, with tooth and claw.

The bottom line is that while dragons are extremely powerful, they were not outright invincible. Also, given their rarity and the large effort/expense in training them, they were not simply deployed in battle on a whim.

**Intelligence**

Dragons are very intelligent creatures - at times seeming to approach human levels of intelligence and emotion - but they never specifically display it: Dragons can't physically talk, and although they can understand voice commands from people, this is no more than what a dog or a horse can do. Rather, dragons appear to have some sort of higher, unnatural level of intelligence; they seem to be more in tune with the workings of the universe (i.e. "magic" or "fate" or "nature") than people are, and possess a sense of mental awareness that people do not. Somehow, they are often able to sense when the rider they are bonded with needs them.


	3. Targareyn/Theirin History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- I did some work and managed to fit in a Targaryen past to the Theirin line. The Targaryens were part of the original Tevinter Imperium, before leaving before the destruction of the Elvhenan. Then Calenhad was born to a Theirin father and the last Targaryen mother. It adds to the whole dragon thing. And I kind of like it. Opinions welcome. 

**Family Name: **Theirin

**Former Names:** Targaryen

**Nationality:**

Fereldan

Orleasian (Via Daenerys)

Tevinter Imperium (Formerly; ancestry)

**Type: **Royal

**Coat of arms:** A red three-headed dragon on black

**Words: **Fire and Blood

**Founded:**

Targaryen; Sometime after -1610 Ancient

Theirin; Sometime before 5:33 Exalted

**History:**

Long before it became House Theirin, it was House Targaryen. House Targaryen was a noble family of the Tevinter Imperium, founded by Darinius. Darinius, also known as Darinius the Ferryman, was the first Archon and founder of the Tevinter Imperium.

**Darinius History:**

Since Barindur's mysterious disappearance in -1610 Ancient, the lands of northern Thedas were divided between three kingdoms: Tevinter, Neromenian, and Qarinus. Darinius was born in the kingdom of Tevinter to Livia, High Queen of Tevinter and High Priestess of Razikale. While she was pregnant with her first child, Livia's non-mage brother Tarsian made a bid for the throne, waiting until she went into labor to attack the palace. He slaughtered all the priests and soldiers who wouldn't swear allegiance to him, but only found the royal signet of Tevinter cleaved in two when he broke into the queen's bedroom. He tracked her to the Temple of Razikale, where she was waiting for him fully armed and armored. The exhausted queen lost her life, but not before taking Tarsian's right eye and arm. The child was nowhere to be found.

A day later, Calpurnia, a priestess of Dumat serving in the temple at Vyrantium, found a baby boy floating in a basket on the seashore. The infant had nothing but a blanket and half of a broken ring. She took the child and raised him as her own, and gave him the name of Darinius. He was raised in the Temple of Dumat, and quickly showed remarkable magical talent. He was already a skilled Dreamer by the age of ten.

When Darinius was nineteen, the High Priest of Dumat lay dying. He sent for all the senior acolytes, as well as the novice Darinius, and said that he would name as his heir the man who could prove his worthiness by bringing him "that which has no legs yet must dance, has no lungs but must breathe, and has no life yet lives and dies". Darinius successfully solved the riddle by bringing the High Priest fire. He named Darinius his heir with his dying breath, and Darinius became a High priest the next day.

When the High King of Neromenian died without an heir, a successor had to be chosen from the ranks of the Dreamers. As Dumat, Toth, and Lusacan were Neromenian's patron gods, its high priests were summoned to the palace to prove which of them was more blessed by the gods. They were told they had until the next sunrise to tie an egg in a knot and place it on the pedestal set before the throne. Once the correct solution was set there, the crown of the High King would be released from the vault. They would be executed if all three failed to find a solution within the time limit. While the High Priests of Toth and Lusacan immediately entered the Fade to look for a solution, Darinius smashed an egg, tore a strip of cloth from his clothing, soaked the cloth in the egg and tied it in a knot. He placed it on the pedestal, and a great bell rang as the magic sealing the royal vault unlocked.

On the night of his coronation, Calpurnia revealed to her son how she had found him, and gave him the broken ring. Darinius' war chief recognized it as the royal seal of Tevinter. This put the new king of Neromenian in a difficult position: on one hand, he was obliged to avenge his mother's murder or risk a curse on his lineage, on the other, Tarsian was well-fortified in Minrathous, a city well-known to be impregnable, and all diplomatic contact had been cut off as the rulers of Qarinus and Neromenian refused to recognize a Soporati king.

Darinius had a dream that night, in which he crossed a mighty river in a small ferry piloted by a man whose face was always in shadow. When he reached the other side and looked back, he saw that he himself was the ferryman. Darinius took this dream as a message from Dumat. The next day, he sent gifts to Tarsian, claiming to want to heal the rift between their two kingdoms. Tarsian was flattered enough to invite him to the palace at Minrathous. Darinius went with only seven soldiers as an honor guard. Once inside, he ensorcelled the palace to prevent anyone from entering and challenged his uncle to a duel. When the spell was lifted, Tarsian was dead and Darinius had reforged the broken seal of Tevinter, proving his claim to the throne. And so in -1207 Ancient (-12 TE), the kingdoms of Tevinter and Neromenian were united under Darinius.

After securing the Tevinter and Neromenian thrones, Archon Darinius turned his attention to the dwarves. He realized that a military campaign in the Deep Roads would never succeed, so instead chose to travel to their domain himself. When he was met by dwarven guards he offered himself as a hostage and asked to be taken to their king so they could negotiate a treaty. They eventually arrived in Kal-Sharok. The dwarves wouldn't let him see the king until he had fought in a Proving in order to prove that the Ancestors and the Stone would favor the meeting with King Endrin Stonehammer. Darinius fought alone against champions of the Warrior and Noble castes, until only one dwarf was left. He was wearing magnificent armor and wielding a warhammer forged from pure lyrium. The dwarf was far more cunning than his previous opponents and the lyrium hammer shattered Darinius' spells like spun glass. After the two were fighting for hours in the sand the dwarf suddenly called a halt to the combat declaring that Darinius possessed Valos Atredum and revealing his identity; Darinius fought King Stonehammer himself. The two men became friends and forged a trade alliance in -1205 Ancient (-5 TE), providing Tevinter with a steady supply of lyrium to fuel their spells and steel to arm his soldiers. The embassy in Minrathous, said to be constructed by Darinius himself as a guest home for the dwarven king, is still in use and is considered one of the wonders of the world.

Queen Rathana of Qarinus knew she couldn't win a war against Darinius, and instead proposed marriage. Their union in -1195 (0 TE) finally united Tevinter, Neromenian, and Qarinus, forming the Tevinter Imperium.

Darinius declared himself the first Archon. He established the Magisterium from the priesthood and named First Priest of Dumat Thalsian an honorary Archon. The court of the Magisters became the royal court, and "magister" became the only title of nobility recognized in Tevinter.

Darinius died circa -1180 (15 TE), leaving behind two sons and a daughter.

**Imperium rings:**

After Darinius acquitted himself well against him in the Provings, Endrin gifted his new ally with a pair of rings as a symbol of the pact between the Tevinter and the dwarves – one that shone like the evening star, and one as luminous as the dawn. So long as the rings were united, Darinius need fear nothing, for the friendship of the dwarves is a mighty sword and shield.

The Archon wore the rings of Dawn and Dusk for twenty years, never removing them, and when he died, they were cut from his fingers by magisters squabbling over his vacant throne, then separated, and finally lost: Dusk ending up the misbegotten property of a sloth demon, and Dawn passing down to the Denerim city elf Shianni.

**Trivia:**

Darinius was said to be able to charm animals, and was often found surrounded by birds or cats, whom he employed as agents. His network of spies was so effective some believed Darinius able to predict the future. For this reason, he is often portrayed with a crow or raven on his shoulder and a cat at his feet, holding a ferryman's pole.

**Targaryens:**

The Targaryen, as well as, the Theirin, sigil is a three-headed dragon breathing flame, red on black. The house words are "Fire and Blood".

The first official Targaryen was the eldest son of Darinius, Cossus. He was an expert in dragons and draconology, and because of this he was granted the title Targaryen meaning 'of the dragon'. The title would eventually become their house name, and would be used for many generations to come.

The only family of 'dragonlords' who survived the destruction of Elvhenan, the Targaryens left Minrathous twelve years, 202TE, before the destruction of Elvhenan. They resided for more than two centuries at Dragonstone on the island of the same name off the coast of what would be Ferelden, (Dragonstone would eventually come to be known as Brandel's Reach), until Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, began the first of the Wars of Conquest.

Following the conclusion of Aegon's Conquest, they built the Aegonfort in Denerim. The Aegonfort was later torn down and replaced by the Red Keep, which remained their main seat for the duration of their dynasty, and which housed the Iron Throne. Their original castle was almost always given to the heir to the throne, the Prince of Dragonstone. The Targaryens eventually built the summer residence Summerhall in Orlais, which has been given to several younger sons of the family over time.

Summerhall is now a ruined castle in the Emerald Graves, Orlais. Formerly a lightly fortified castle used by House Targaryen as a summer castle and royal residence, it was destroyed in a great fire. While the heir apparent to the Iron Throne was known as the Prince of Dragonstone, a younger son could be titled the Prince of Summerhall.

House Targaryen ruled as the Kings of Ferelden, and the First Men, the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms for nearly nine hundred years.

Forty male Targaryens and eleven female Targaryens ruled from the Iron Throne. The dynasty ended with the death of Aerys the Mad King during Rebellion, in which the Targaryens were overthrown by the Alamarri. The two surviving children of Aerys II, fled into exile and were unheard of again until Calenhad Theirin many ages later.

The period of time after that was littered with numerous wars the Alamarri tribes waged, both with foreign powers such as the Tevinter Imperium and Orlais, as well as their fellow tribes.

During that time the Alamarri developed their own political system which remains largely intact to this day. With time, powerful nobles would turn their land into bannorns, then arlings, and finally teyrnirs.

The nobles continued the Alamarri tradition of infighting and continued to fight with each other over petty and personal matters in order to gain more power. A few of the most powerful nobles put forward their bid for kingship over the Alamarri, but without success.

**Traits**

The typical Targaryen and Theirin features: pale skin, silver, platinum, or gold hair and eyes in a variety of shades of purple, or light blue.

Another trait typical to Targaryens is the ability to have premonition-like dreams. The trait has been in the Targaryen family since before they relocated from Tevinter to Dragonstone (and in fact, is what caused them to relocate). This ability seemed to become extinct as no one since Calenhad has claimed visions, until Daenerys.

The Targaryens were seen as prone to madness, presumably caused by their inbreeding. According to Emperor Drakon I, "madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen is born [...] the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land".

**Customs**

House Targaryen and House Theirin's words are "Fire and Blood." Their sigil is a three-headed dragon breathing flame, red on black. The three-headed dragon represents the Conqueror and his two sisters, Rhaenys and Visenya. Some younger sons of the house used variations of the standard sigil. Before his own reign, Maekar I Targaryen used the three-headed dragon, quartered, while his son, Prince Aerion Targaryen, changed the colors of the three heads - one orange, one yellow, one red - while the flames they breathed had a sheen of gold leaf. King Aegon II Targaryen used a golden dragon as his personal banner. In line with the sigil colors, most Targaryens used armor black of color (e.g., Rhaegar Targaryen, who had the three-headed dragon wrought in rubies on his breastplate, Valarr Targaryen, and Aemond Targaryen, whose night-black armor was chased with gold).

Although the Targaryen kings took their seat at Denerim, the place where Aegon and his army first landed in Ferleden and made their first fort, replaced by the Red Keep, later on, their earlier seat of Dragonstone remained in their possession as well. It eventually became the traditional seat of the heir-apparent to the throne, who was known as the Prince of Dragonstone (or Princess of Dragonstone, on a few occasions). The Targaryens eventually build a third seat, Summerhall, which was granted to several younger sons of House Targaryen, who were granted the title "Prince of Summerhall".

House Targaryen historically followed the Old Gods of the Imperium. Sometime before Aegon's Conquest, the Targaryens abandoned the Old Gods and converted to Andrastianism, the predominant religion in Ferelden. However, they continued to follow the Imperium practice of incestuous marriage, wedding brother to sister, cousin to cousin, uncle to niece and aunt to nephew, holding themselves apart from and above the noble Thedosian families.

Deceased Targaryens are traditionally cremated. The ashes of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen and his sister-wife, Queen Alysanne Targaryen, were interred and placed beneath the Red Keep.

**Dragons:**

As one of the forty dragonlord families of the Imperium, the Targaryens were closer to dragons than other men. Aenar Targaryen brought five dragons with him when he moved from Tevinter to Dragonstone, and Aegon I Targaryen and his sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya rode them to battle during the Conquest of Ferelden. The Targaryens rode their dragons during the first century and a half following Aegon's Conquest. Deaths in battle, especially during the Dance of the Dragons, and a growing infirmity in each following generation caused the family's stable to dwindle. The last dragon was a deformed and sterile creature, who died young, during the reign of Aegon III, the Dragonbane.

The Targaryens housed their dragons in an immense domed structure in Denerim, the Dragonpit, which was constructed during the reign of Maegor I Targaryen. Not all dragons which hatched were ridden, however. On the island of Dragonstone, several dragons, both wild and previously ridden, resided at least during the reigns of Viserys I and Aegon II Targaryen.

At some point, it became a tradition to gift a newborn child with a dragon's egg in the cradle. This practice continued even after the death of the last dragon, with the last Targaryens confirmed to have been given an egg having been the sons of Prince Maekar during the reign of Daeron II Targaryen. Whether the tradition was continued beyond this point is unknown; However, the Targaryens still possessed eggs as recent as the reign of Aerys II Targaryen, the last king of the Targaryen Dynasty. Several attempts have been made, since the death of the last dragon, to hatch these eggs by members of House Targaryen. This list includes Aegon III and his younger brother and Hand of the King, Viserys, Baelor I, Aegon V, and Aerys II.

**Fall of the Dragons**

While the reign of King Aerys II Targaryen began with much promise, his would become the reign that ended the Targaryen Dynasty. Upon ascending the throne, he replaced all of his father's elderly councilors with younger men, and appointed a friend from his youth, the twenty-year-old Emery, as his Hand of the King. While Aerys had great plans for his realm, his attention span was short and most plans were quickly forgotten. While Emery would be Aerys II's Hand for nineteen years, tensions between the two friends began early in Aerys's reign. Aerys grew increasingly jealous of Emery and overtime began to insult him, while the deaths of several of his children contributed further to his madness. After three miscarriages, two stillbirths, and three deaths in the cradle, Prince Visedar was born, Emery hosted a tournament in honor of Visedar's birth at Redcliffe, which Aerys II and Rhaegar attended. There, Emery suggested his ten-year-old daughter Cersei as a bride for Rhaegar, and her twin Franka as Rhaegar's squire. Aerys refused him, stating he would not wed his son to the daughter of his servant.

Aerys's jealousy for Emery increased further when he learned of the saying that Emery was the true ruler of the kingdom, making his suspicious of his subjects at court. His jealousy and desire to show himself as a leader led to his rash action of accepting the invitation of Lord Drakon to travel to Orlais, as to discuss Drakon's petition. Aerys went to Orlais with only a small escort, and was captured upon arrival. This revolt, known as the Defiance of Orlais, lasted for half a year, during which time Aerys II was kept in the dungeons, while Lord Emery besieged the city. Though he was eventually freed, the last of Aerys's sanity had died during his captivity. He became increasingly suspicious everyone, including his own heir, Rhaegar, and refused to leave the Red Keep for four years. Tensions between Aerys and Rhaegar grew, more so after Rhaegar and his new bride, Elia moved to his seat of Dragonstone. A year later, Aerys appointed Emery's heir, Ser Franka, to his Kingsguard, leaving Emery with a dwarf for an heir. Emery resigned as Hand and left Denerim. Convinced that his son Rhaegar planned to gather as many lords as possible to dispose Aerys at the Tourney of Ostwick held later that same year, Aerys personally attended the tourney. When the victorious Prince Rhaegar passed by his own wife, Elia, and named Luzia Koch, the betrothed of his Alamarri cousin Alva, as his queen of love and beauty, it caused fury and tensions among those present, and inflamed Aerys's council against Rhaegar further.

The next year, Rhaegar left his wife and newborn son Aegon on Dragonstone and went on a journey. Ultimately, he ended up in the Free Marches where he disappeared with Luzia Koch. Luzia's brother Brandon went to Denerim, threatening Prince Rhaegar's life. Though Rhaegar was not present, King Aerys had Brandon arrested, and summoned his father, Lord Rickard, for a trial. At the "trial", Aerys had both men killed, after which he demanded the heads of Lord Alva, Luzia's betrothed, and Peter, Luzia's younger brother. Their foster father, Lord Jon, refused Aerys's commands and raised his banners, thereby starting a civil war.

Towards the end of the war, Alva proclaimed he intended to claim the Iron Throne. Out of the three leaders of the rebellion, Alva had the better claim, due to the fact that his grandmother had been Princess Rhaelle Targaryen, the youngest daughter of King Aegon V Targaryen. Prince Rhaegar eventually returned from the Free Marches and took command of the royal troops, leading them during the Battle of the Trident, where he was killed by Alva. Aerys sent his new heir, Prince Visedar, and the pregnant Queen Rhaella to Dragonstone, while keeping Rhaegar's wife and two children as hostages at Denerim. Though he had ignored calls to arms from both the loyalists and the rebels, Lord Emery appeared with an army at the gates of Denerim hours before the arrival of a rebel army. Feigning loyalty to House Targaryen, the forces sacked Denerim once allowed into the city, slaying Princess Elia, Rhaenys, and the infant Prince Aegon, while Aerys' only Kingsguard knight in the city, Franka, killed the king in the throne room.

The war was at an end, and on the mainland, the final opposition to the reign of Alva was resolved. On Dragonstone, however, the last Targaryens held their last stronghold. Dowager Queen Rhaella crowned her son Visedar, but died some nine months after her flight from Denerim when she gave birth to Princess Naerena during a storm that destroyed the Targaryen fleet which had been protecting the island. With the enemy approaching the island and the garrison willing to surrender, Ser Willem Darry spirited young Visedar and Naerena to the Free Marches, where they remained until his death. Afterward, Visedar and Naerena traveled from city to city, kingdom to kingdom for years, forced to sell the last of their belongings, until they were taken in by a Magister.

The Targaryens remained nice and quiet for many ages after this.

At some point, the last Targaryen married into the House of Theirin. Ending the official Targaryen line.

The first notable Theirin was undoubtedly Calenhad. He became teyrn of Denerim in 5:33 Exalted. By some feat of skill or luck, he convinced the Circle of Magi to craft him an enchanted suit of silver-white armor (Calenhad to this day is referred to as "The Silver Knight"), which seemed to deflect both arrow and blade. He then became the third - and to date, last - person to successfully lay siege to Redcliffe and conquer it. Following this feat, he presented himself to the Landsmeet flanked by Ash Warriors and Circle mages and declared himself king. Every lord and lady present bowed before him. He blazed through Ferelden, uniting the entire land behind him as king.

Following Calenhad's conquest, the Theirins ruled Ferelden for over three hundred years, until in 8:44 Blessed, the Orlesian Empire conquered Ferelden and deposed the ruling Theirin king, Brandel son of King Vanedrin Theirin. An Orlesian puppet king was installed on the Fereldan throne, answering to the emperor in Val Royeaux. In the latter years of the occupation, that king was Meghren, first cousin of Emperor Florian.

The deposed King Brandel Theirin unsuccessfully continued fighting the Orlesians, until his death. During the Orlesian occupation, Moira Theirin, daughter of the overthrown King Brandel (commonly known as Brandel the Defeated) inspired and led the rebellion, along with several rebel lords. She was betrayed by a group of banns who had pretended to support the rebellion, and was murdered in 8:96 Blessed (a crime that was avenged three years later). Her head was mounted above the doors of the Royal Palace. Despite never being crowned, Moira was well-loved and well-respected among Fereldans, remembered fondly as "The Rebel Queen".

Moira's son, Maric Theirin, took up his mother's rebellion despite heavy losses suffered by the rebels. He waged war alongside a skilled farmer named Loghain Mac Tir who saved his life, and Rowan, the daughter of Arl Rendorn Guerrin and the woman to whom he was betrothed. Maric led the army to a victory at Gwaren, and again managed to defend the town from Orlesian forces despite the significantly reduced numbers of the rebel army. The turning point, however, came when the rebels were rallied at the River Dane, and a major victory against Orlais was won at that battle.

The rebellion successfully pushed back the occupiers for three more years, before laying siege to Denerim, where the usurper King Meghren was personally slain by Maric atop Fort Drakon in 9:2 Dragon. Maric was dubbed "Maric the Savior", and was later crowned.

King Maric married his betrothed, Rowan, with whom he had one child, Cailan. Cailan ascended the throne after his father was lost at sea in 9:25 Dragon, and married Anora Mac Tir, daughter of Loghain (made Teyrn of Gwaren for his part in the rebellion) who had helped to raise Cailan.

Though the land was peaceful, rumors surrounded the reign of King Cailan. Many speculated that it was Queen Anora who truly ruled, while others speculated that she was barren due to their marriage being childless after five years. Five years into Cailan's reign, in 9:30 Dragon, the Fifth Blight broke out in southern Ferelden. King Cailan rallied his armies and led them to the old Tevinter fortress of Ostagar, where he led the battle against the darkspawn. Cailan won several battles, and massed his armies for one final assault against the darkspawn which he hoped would end the Blight. The surprise infiltration of darkspawn into the beacon tower stopped the beacon from being lit in time to signal a successful attack, and Teyrn Loghain quit the field at the crucial battle, leading to the armies' defeat.

With the death of the childless Cailan, the Theirin line seemingly passed to Daenerys, Maric's mage daughter, with Daenerys only being 14 at the time it was decided best if she continued with her studies at the Circle Of Magi. So the throne passed to Queen Anora, who declared her father, Loghain, regent. Many speculated that Loghain would soon be declared king in his own right, though Ferelden was plunged into a civil war between Loghain and his enemies, while the Blight continued to rage across the country.

It emerged that King Maric had in fact sired a bastard, Alistair, who was put forward by Arl Eamon Guerrin, Cailan's uncle, as a viable Theirin candidate for the throne. A Landsmeet was called to decide on this, though Queen Anora put herself forward as a rival candidate.

The Landsmeet decided that Maric's only living son, Alistair should take the throne, and he reluctantly accepted. He defeated the Blight, and ruled competently, if without enthusiasm. Alistair eventually took Roshelle Cousland, the Hero of Ferelden as his queen, and remains happily married to her to this day.

**Known Theirins:**

Calenhad the Great, married to Queen Mairyn

Weylan I - the son of Calenhad Theirin

Fionne Theirin - ascended to the throne in 6:18 Steel

King Arland

King Vanedrin

King Brandel

Moira Theirin

King Maric Theirin, married to Rowan

King Cailan Theirin, married to Anora

King Alistair Theirin, married to Roshelle

Princess Daenerys Stormborn

Kieran


	4. Other Information (Dothraki and Unsullied - Thedas Edition)

**Race: **Dothraki

**Also known as**

Horse Lords

Dragon Cult

Dragon Worshippers

Screamers

**Species:**

Human (Alamarri (Mostly))

Other (Converts much like the Qun)

**Location:**

Dothraki Sea, Anderfels

Vaes Dothrak, Anderfels

Ferelden (Eventually)

Orlais (Eventually)

**Ruler:**

Daenerys Trevelyan, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea (Eventually)

Various khals (formerly; eventually)

Society: Clan-based (khalasar)

**Language:** Dothraki

**Religion:** Great Dragons

**Distinctive features:**

Copper skin

Tall stature

_"The Dothraki do things in their own time, for their own reasons."_ \- Leliana to Daenerys

The Dothraki are a race of nomadic horse-mounted warriors in the Anderfels, the continent in the Northwest of Thedas across the Hunterhorn Mountains. They inhabit the vast central plains of Anderfels, The Wandering Hills, known commonly as the Dothraki sea. Their bond with horses is such that Dothraki are said to be born, fight, and die in the saddle.

Dothraki warriors are commonly referred to as "horselords". They are also often (and half-derisively) called "Dothraki screamers", because of their fierce war cries as they charge into battle and raids.

**Society**

The Dothraki are nomadic horse-mounted warriors, who sweep across the vast central plains of Anderfels in search of plunder. Most of their society is centered around their horses: even their name for themselves in their own language, "Dothraki", literally means "riders". Dothraki boys learn to shoot bows from horseback when they are only four years old. The Dothraki will abandon a sick or injured leader who can no longer ride a horse.

The Dothraki are divided into several nameless clans known as khalasars, each led by a single leader called "khal". The khalasars roam the Dothraki Sea, always on the move looking for new pasture lands and new targets for plundering. The Dothraki frequently raid neighboring regions, such as the Donarks to the north or the Tevinter Imperium to the southeast. The Dothraki live by taking what they need including supplies, valuables, and new captives to serve them as slaves. The Dothraki respect force, and thus only respect those who are able to successfully resist them, while conquered slaves deserve only contempt. The Dothraki are usually dismissive of infantry (with the notable exception of the elite Unsullied warrior-eunuch legions).

The Dothraki traditionally fight with curved swords known as arakhs, and also employ bolas, daggers, and whips, or huge, recurve bows with impressive range and striking power that can be fired from horseback. They also shun armor, considering speed and freedom of movement to be more important in battle. Dothraki warriors wear their hair in a long braid and only cut it when defeated, so the world may see their shame. Very capable warriors therefore often have a very long braid. As light cavalry, their attacks are extremely fast and deadly, but they are vulnerable to archers and on the ground, they are less effective against armored infantry despite their speed. However, they seldom attack on foot except for individual combat, so they usually retain the advantage.

The only Dothraki city is Vaes Dothrak, located to the far north-east of the Dothraki sea. It is ruled by the Dosh khaleen, crones and wise women who were once the wives of now dead khals. All Dothraki commerce (with fellow Dothraki and other Theodian people) is done in the marketplaces of the city, and all sacred rituals are conducted there. Drawing weapons or shedding blood is forbidden inside Vaes Dothrak - although there are loopholes around this if an execution absolutely must take place. Provided that the target is killed in a method that does not shed blood (such as strangling or burning), it is permissible.

Dothraki do not trust saltwater, because their horses cannot drink it. The literal term for "ocean" in the Dothraki language is "poison water". They refuse to sail in ships over the oceans. Thus they are not considered a threat by anyone across the Waking Sea because they will not cross it.

**Economy**

It is said that the Dothraki "don't believe in money", instead taking what they want through raiding (which includes enslaving defeated peoples). The two resources they actually have on the plains of the Dothraki Sea are miles upon miles of grass, and horses. As people can't eat grass, the main staples of the Dothraki diet are horse meat and fermented mare's milk.

What material wealth or precious objects they do possess have been acquired through raiding surrounding nations such as the Donarks or from raiding other Dothraki hordes to take their plunder secondhand. The Dothraki do not so much function on the barter system, as they use the honor system: they frown upon "trade" but honor the exchange of gifts, such as tribute. Long ago the Donarks decided that it was often less destructive to just give the Dothraki massive tributes in gold, finished products, and slaves, than to try to fight them off (though a Dothraki horde might still attack if they find the gift insufficient, or if they just haven't had a good fight in a while). The Dothraki will not reciprocate these "gifts" on an immediate quid pro quo trade system; as a rule, they will keep their word to eventually give a gift which they have promised, but will do it in their own time.

In practice, however, if a Dothraki horde has a particular need for a resource that it cannot obtain through direct raiding, i.e. new armor and weapons, they will resort to actual "barter" by "gifting" slaves they have captured in return for finished products from the Free Cities or Slaver's Bay.

**Religion**

Mirroring the importance of 'riding' in their culture, the Dothraki religion worships a deity known as the Great Dragon. The Dosh khaleen crones are the leaders of the religion.

Dothraki religion also rejects the employment of blood magic. For this reason, mages are distrusted and hated by Dothraki.

**Dothraki language**

The Dothraki have their own language, which is quite different from the Kings Tongue of Thedas. It is thought to be an evolution of the dragon tongue. 

** Unsullied **

The Unsullied are eunuch slave soldiers, trained from a young age in Tevinter to unquestioning obedience and martial prowess. They are used as guards all over the country. They are sold by the century or the thousand. They make excellent guards, do not loot, and will never rape. They worship a goddess of their own, whose name is kept in secret among them but is known as the Lady of Spears, the Bride of Battle, and the Mother of Hosts, many speculate that this is actually Andraste.

**Recruitment and training**

Unsullied begin as young male slaves chosen for their size, speed, and strength. Every day they choose new names at random by drawing tokens from a bucket, each consisting of a color and a type of vermin, such as "Grey Worm".

Their training starts at age five and is from dawn to dusk. It is brutal, designed not only to teach them how to fight, but to strip away all individuality, empathy, and self-worth. Slaves that fail any aspect of their training are killed. Only a third of the slaves to enter training survive to become Unsullied.

The eunuchs are fully castrated, with their penis and testicles cut, and their manhoods are burned at the altar of the Lady of Spears. This means that they cannot be as strong as whole men, but this is more than made up for by discipline. They regularly consume an elixir called the wine of courage to deaden their sensitivity to pain. They drink it with every meal, and every year feel less and less pain. On the day a boy is cut, he is given a puppy to take care of. At the end of the first year, the boy is made to strangle the puppy. Should he fail to do so, he is killed and fed to the surviving dogs. During training, boys are culled whenever they fail a task, be it running all day in full pack, scaling a mountain at night or walking across a bed of coals. To win their spiked cap they must take a silver mark go to the slave markets and buy a newborn slave child and kill it before its mother and pay the slave's owner for his loss. 

**Military Tactics:**

Unsullied fight in formation as light infantry, equipped with short spears, swords, round shields, and distinctive spiked caps. They fight fearlessly and obey without question. Their elite, highly specialized training makes them most effective in their phalanx formation. They do not ride horses. Unsullied uniform are plain and without ornament, quilted tunic, a short sword, three spears, and spiked bronze caps. One spike indicates a low rank, while three spikes going from front to back represent an officer. 

**History:**

The most famous Unsullied were the Three Thousand of Minrathous, who held back a Dothraki khalasar over fifty thousand strong. Only six hundred Unsullied survived, having killed twelve thousand of the Dothraki. To honor the Unsullied, the surviving Dothraki rode in before the Unsullied line, throwing their cut braids down in front of them.


	5. Prologue

There is a saying that most in Thedas are aware of, a saying that has been around as long as most can remember, no one even remembers where it came from, only that it exists. 'Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice'. What most people don't consider is that it may end with a giant hole into the fade that tears the sky apart and rains down demons into the world. That is how Thedas is currently looking after an explosion of pure magical power at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, during a Conclave for peace. Daenerys was one such soul at the Conclave, she was there with her fellow rebel mages, those that had broken away from their circles to seek independence from their Templar oppressors and masters. All they wanted was the same level of freedom that everyone else gets, all they wanted was to be able to live normal lives, to marry, have children, see their families. But it had all gone wrong. 

Daenerys wakes, shivering in the dark of an underground dungeon. She groans a little and lets out a sigh of pain, the air around her cold and damp, stagnant, it scratches at the back of her throat, threatens to induce a roll of her stomach. She blinks her eyes open, adjusting to the lack of candlelight around her. She feels weakened, drained of all her magic. A smite. She can feel it wearing off but they definitely hit her with one. The magic at her fingers dies with a lack of mana. No way she can escape Templars without her magic. She's only ever been the victim of a smite once before, and it was aimed at someone else and caught her as well, it was horrible. Makes the mage feel like they have so little energy that even walking would be a struggle. It's used to keep them in line. To stop their magic for a short while. It's brutal and barbaric. She takes a steadying breath as she shifts on her knees, aching and bruised no doubt, she's been here a while then, on her knees, chained, leashed and tethered. Templars. It's the only thing that comes to mind, the only people cruel enough to treat a mage this way. She lifts her head, but it takes energy to do so, everything aches, right down to her bones. There are a few soldiers around her, watching her, glaring at her. Spears at hand pointing at her. But they are not Templars. Their armor is different. She narrows her eyes slightly, trying to remember if she's seen that sigil before, all the books she's read and she never has come across it before. It is similar to both the Templars and the Seekers of Truth sigil, almost bits of both put together into one.

Daenerys gasps as a rapidly spreading pain originate from her left palm, her eyes shifting to it, here she sees that her hand is now glowing green, a fiery green but green none the less. This is....not anything she's witnessed before. All the books she has spent years reading and nothing like this was ever mentioned before. Her breath catches, confusion swimming in her eyes. Her memories shattered and frayed and gone. There is nothing in her head that would explain this. It's magic in origin, that much she can feel. But other than that....she's got nothing. And she usually prides herself on knowledge, she was the one other apprentices came to when they had arcane questions, she was the one that taught the little mages about mana and lyrium. To have no knowledge is not her. Her eyes move from her marked hand to the door as she hears footsteps heading towards this room, this cell in the dungeon. The door slams open, hitting the wall behind it with a crack and in walks two imposing women, stood up tall, steps sure and heavy against the floor. Daenerys holds her head up, trying to hide her fear from them. Her unease eating away inside of her as she stares up at these women. Both strong in their own way, the dark-haired woman with sharp facial features is a warrior, clear by the way she stands, the way she walks, the sword on her hip. The other, the redhead, appears smaller, hunched over slightly, hidden beneath a hood, but radiates darkness and strength, used to the shadows she flanks the first woman.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now" the taller of the two orders of Daenerys who's eyes follow her as she starts to round her prisoner. "The Conclave is destroyed" Daenerys' eyes widen in surprise, it doesn't go unnoticed as the redhead's eyes watch her. "Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you."

"What do you mean everyone is dead?" Daenerys whispers sadly, hurt filling her as she thinks about all her friends that were there, all the mages she traveled with....dead. Drogo, her best friend, a fellow mage that found it hard to make friends at the White Spire, but he and she bonded instantly. That was eleven years ago, her longest friendship...over. She takes a shaky breath, refusing to cry in front of these people. The woman grabs Daenerys' wrist of her marked hand.

"Explain this!" She demands as the mark flares to life, Daenerys takes another breath, breathing through the pain that flares with the mark.

"I... can't," Daenerys admits quietly.

"What do you mean, you can't?"

"I don't know what that is or how it got there." Daenerys' voice is pleading, begging for them to believe her. Because she can feel the accusation in her voice, Daenerys is getting the blame for this...for everything that happened. They are going to blame the sole survivor. Make her the scapegoat regardless of whether she is responsible or not.

"You're lying!" The warrior lunges forward at Daenerys as if to strike her but the redhead stops her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back out the way.

"We need her, Cassandra." She scolds shooting the woman a look, 'Cassandra' takes a deep breath and composes herself. Daenerys' mind is reeling, folding over the consequences of what has happened.

"I can't believe it" Daenerys whispers sadly. "All those people... dead." The redhead steps closer to Daenerys who takes a shaky breath.

"Do you remember what happened? How this began?" Daenerys lifts her eyes to her and then pulls on what memories she does have, they're....few and very far between, she was at the Conclave, she was with Drogo, they were talking, watching a group of templars from the Spire. They were all on edge. All of them in close contact again and not throwing spells or waving swords around. Then....she left Drogo to talk with another of the mages before she went looking for food.....after that....nothing until...Daenerys cocks her head.

"I remember...I remember I was running" she admits quietly, trying to track her memories that flicker fast through her mind. "There were....these _things _chasing me" Flashes of black creatures with huge piercing eyes scrambling after her, then something golden and glowing, reaching out for her. "And then... a woman?" She asks this time, her memories unclear, fuzzy.

"A woman?" the redhead asks her, curious but not surprised. She's heard the reports from the scouts up the mountain that found Daenerys, they all claim there was a woman stood behind her when she fell out of a rift, Daenerys has just confirmed that, and there is no way she knew to say that unless it happened.

"She reached out to me" Daenerys mimics the action, raising her bound hands, then drops them. "But then..." Daenerys shakes her head, her memories gone. "Nothing" she admits slumping slightly. Cassandra steps to the redhead.

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana" Cassandra orders of 'Leliana'. "I will take her to the rift." Leliana glances between the two of them before nodding, she backs away and leaves through the door. Daenerys takes a breath and lifts her eyes to meet Cassandra's.

"What did happen?" Daenerys asks her quietly, afraid of the answer, afraid of the severity of this. Cassandra helps Daenerys to her feet, helping her off the cold, damp floor and then replaces the manacles with rope. Cassandra takes a breath and nods a little.

"It will be easier to show you," Cassandra answers, the two of them share a look, Daenerys' heart sinking, knowing it has to be bad for people to be reacting like this. 


	6. Chapter One

It is something else. 'The hole in the sky'. That's not even a big enough explanation for what it is. The way it has split the sky. The sheer size of it. How much of the sky it takes up. Looming over the world. Daenerys' can't take her eyes off of it. Drawn to it like the proverbial moth. Cassandra's eyes are on her, watching, studying her reaction. Her genuine surprise and horror is something that pushes Cassandra to believe that she might not have had a hand in this, or...at least, this wasn't what was planned, something went wrong. Cassandra steps closer to her.

“We call it the Breach” Cassandra informs her, now they are outside, and Daenerys is stronger, Daenerys can make out that Cassandra is Nevarran, her accent thick and seasoned but it's still been some time since the woman was in Nevarra. “It is a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour” Cassandra explains for her, Daenerys' eyes still locked on the Breach above them. It’s not the only such rift, just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave.” Daenerys takes a steadying breath before finally drawing her eyes away from the sky and to Cassandra.

“An explosion can do that?” Daenerys asks quietly, her eyes subconsciously fixing back onto the sky.

“This one did” Cassandra answers, her own eyes following Daenerys to the sky. “Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world.” The Breach flexes and expands in the sky causing the mark on Daenerys' hand to flare and react. And the pain is like wildfire, spreading, rapidly along her arm till it hits her shoulder, her bones shake within her flesh with it, her nerve endings light up in agony. It was never this painful in the dungeon. Daenerys falls forward onto her knees and she curls her body around her hand breathing through the pain. Cassandra crouches at her side, her eyes watching Daenerys' face, waiting for it to pass before she talks.

“Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads… and it is killing you” Daenerys closes her eyes and hangs her head, she already feared that, she can feel it corrupting her body, her soul....slowly killing her. “It may be the key to stopping this but there isn’t much time,” Cassandra adds, there is an undertone of pleading, begging, they need Daenerys' help. Cassandra raises an eyebrow in question, Daenerys nods and lets Cassandra pull her up to her feet, her fingers curling and uncurling against her palm to elevate the pain lingering.

“You say it may be the key. To doing what?” Daenerys asks Cassandra.

“Closing the Breach” Cassandra answers her. “Whether that’s possible is something we shall discover shortly. It is our only chance, however. And yours.”

“I understand,” Daenerys states as she takes a deep breath, steeling herself to this. She will do whatever it takes to save herself, and the world.

“Then...?” Cassandra asks, wanting to make sure she gets what Daenerys means.

“I’ll do what I can” Daenerys assures her. “Whatever it takes.” They share a look, Cassandra nods and relaxes slightly, a little more hope now that Daenerys is on side willingly, she would have hated to have had to drag the young woman along with her.

“Then I suppose introductions are in order” Cassandra admits and steps back before holding out her hand. “Seeker Cassandra Pentagast” Daenerys looks to her hand and then takes it.

“Daenerys” Daenerys offers, she'll keep everything else to herself, for now, they don't need to know who she really is for her to fix the sky. If she survives, then maybe she'll give out her heritage, but it's not something she's ever really told anyone, there have been people that knew, but she's never actually had to say the words herself. Daenerys looks around now, behind Cassandra, at where the townspeople are watching them, glaring at her, judging her, blaming her. Cassandra notes her eye line and then turns back to Daenerys.

“They have decided your guilt. They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry” Cassandra informs her.

“Yes,” Daenerys remembers. “The Conclave was hers” Cassandra nods in agreement.

“It was a chance for peace between mages and templars. She brought their leaders together. Now, they are dead. We lash out, like the sky. But we must think beyond ourselves, as she did. Until the breach is sealed.” Daenerys looks down at her hand, flames flicker at her fingertips, her mana restoring, Cassandra realizes. “You are a mage” she whispers. “Did you...”

“I wanted the same thing they all wanted....freedom and peace” Daenerys admits and lifts her eyes to meet Cassandra's. “I had friends there...” she looks back up at the sky. “This wasn't me” she whispers. “I did not wish for this” Cassandra sighs a little, she can not say for certain whether Daenerys did create the Breach, but even if she did have a hand in it, it may have gone too far, too out of hand.

“We must get moving,” Cassandra tells her quietly and then pulls out a dagger from her belt, Daenerys' eyes flicker down to it. “There will be a trial. I can promise no more.” Cassandra cuts the ropes binding Daenerys' hands. “Come. It is not far.” Cassandra walks away from her, Daenerys follows, there is nowhere else for her to go right now, only these people might be able to fix whatever is going on with her hand. She needs them just as much as they need her.

“Where are you taking me?” Daenerys asks as she reaches Cassandra's side, the Seeker looks down at her.

“Your mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach.” She answers glancing at Daenerys' hand as the young woman lifts it up to peer at it herself. It flares slightly before she lowers it and stands up taller. Ready to face anything. She has to be.


	7. Chapter Two

Haven is freezing and the clothing they have Daenerys in does not help. She has an affinity for fire so of course being in the cold doesn't work for her. She shivers slightly as she follows behind Cassandra, leading her forward and away from Haven. Bodies of the dead, wounded soldiers litter the sides of the paths they walk, some wrapped ready for cremation, some just left in the dirt. Daenerys looks at each and every single one of them. Counts in her mind just how many people have suffered because of the Breach. Because of this war. The Breach above them pulsates sending Daenerys to her knees in pain, her eyes wide, tears gathering as she curls over her marked hand, protectively clutching it to her chest. Cassandra double backs for her, crouching to help Daenerys back to her feet once the pulse settles and Daenerys can breathe again.

“The pulses are coming faster now.” Cassandra states quietly tugging on the bottom of Daenerys' jacket, it's some of the mercenary wear they had lying around. Her circle dress was burnt and singed beyond use. But the mercenary jacket is too big for her, swamps her tiny frame. “The larger the Breach grows, the more rifts appear, the more demons we face.” Cassandra releases Daenerys, now steady on her feet, Daenerys takes a deep breath and pushes past the pain in her hand.

“You said everyone died at the Conclave” Daenerys comments, Cassandra nods. “Then how did I survive?” Daenerys asks as they start walking again.

“They said you… stepped out of a rift, then fell unconscious” Daenerys swallows a little, considering these rifts are where demons are coming from, her stepping out of one isn't necessarily a good thing. “They say a woman was in the rift behind you” Daenerys opens her mouth to ask but Cassandra already senses it. “No one knows who she was. Everything farther in the valley was laid waste, including the Temple of Sacred Ashes. I suppose you’ll see soon enough.” Daenerys' walks with a sickening sense of dread settling into her stomach.

…...........

Daenerys lays slightly dazed on ice, cold seeping through her clothing. The bridge they had been stood on crumbling above them, given way after a chunk of Breach exploded onto it, killing the soldiers that had been guarding it, Daenerys and Cassandra had both been lucky and only thrown to the ice below. Daenerys clutches to her ribs as she pushes herself up to her knees, Cassandra already on her feet and moving towards the younger woman. Her duty is to make sure Daenerys survives long enough to reach the Breach.

“Daenerys” Cassandra states reaching for her, she helps Daenerys to her feet, again. The Breach spits out a blast of green energy which hits the frozen river a short distance in front of Cassandra and Daenerys, they both hold their breath, waiting. They both watch as a Shade forms in a pool of green light. “Stay behind me!” Cassandra orders of Daenerys as the warrior pulls her sword from the scabbard at her side. Daenerys takes a few steps back, her hands clenched at her side as her magic stirs inside of her, flames flicker to life across her skin. Cassandra charges the Shade. A second Shade forms between Daenerys and Cassandra, no one to protect her. Daenerys holds out her hand, a rune forming beneath the shade before it explodes with her hand movement upward. It screeches at her, now on fire. She turns looking for something, looking for a staff or a knife to use but there is nothing. But there are shards of wood splinters littering the floor. She grabs one and turns channeling her magic through the shard, it's messy because the shard isn't mean to be used as a staff, fire erupts from the end of it, dousing the Shade who just screams louder, Daenerys plunges the shard into the Shade's neck, or what passes as its neck anyway. She pulls the shard out and the Shade slinks to the ground. Dead. Daenerys takes a breath and looks to Cassandra as she stares down at her own dead Shade.

“It’s over.” Daenerys states, Cassandra turns to face her, notes the 'weapon' in her hand, then raises her sword again.

“Drop your weapon. Now.” Cassandra orders her, Daenerys frowns and looks down at the wood shard and then sighs lifting her eyes again to Cassandra.

“If you’re going to lead me through a demon-infested valley, you’ll have to trust me.” Daenerys scolds holding out the shard to Cassandra.

“Give me one reason to trust you,” Cassandra tells her taking the shard of wood from her.

“Because my life is on the line.” Daenerys reminds her. Cassandra sighs.

“You’re right.” Cassandra agrees with her and hands the shard back. “You don’t need a staff, but you should have one.” Cassandra looks at the wood. “Or something anyway” Daenerys takes the shard back from her. “I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless.” She motions to the wood. “We shall see what they have at the Forward Camp when we arrive...if we arrive” Daenerys holds the wood closer to her. Knowing that right now it is her only weapon. “I should remember that you agreed to come willingly,” Cassandra adds casting Daenerys a look, cautious and thoughtful. “Come on, it's not much farther now” Cassandra walks away, Daenerys closes her eyes and takes a breath before following after her.

…............

Daenerys stares down from the stone wall she's stood on, below her Inquisition soldiers fight against demons that keep appearing from the rift suspended in the air, all green and warped just like the sky. Cassandra moves first, instantly drawing her sword and heading into battle. Daenerys hesitates, because this is more than just one, one on one she can deal with, but she's never been in a real...battle before. Even with the rebel mages, Drogo would do all the fighting to protect her. He would have been better for this. She takes a deep breath and then joins in, she has to, there is no choice here when she cannot fight. She is in this whether she wants to be or not, thanks to the mark on her hand. She must do what she can to survive. Four men are fighting the demons, two humans, an elf and a dwarf. Daenerys is at least glad to see another of magical ability getting stuck in. especially given all that has happened in the last few years. It actually doesn't take them all that long to fight off the demons between the six of them. A few fire spells, some crossbow bolts, sword swings, and ice spells and they are done. Fingers wrap around Daenerys' wrist before the elf attached to them lifts her hand towards the rift.

“Quickly, before more come through!” He tells her, she frowns because how is she supposed to know how to work this thing? Magic words? With her mind? Turns out...it has a mind of its own, the mark on her hand latches onto the rift. It tugs on something deep inside of her, and she fells, oh boy does she feel it. She clenches her unmarked fist, pressing her nails into her palm before the mark releases the rift, closing it. The green portal into the fade disappears from sight. Daenerys looks down at the mark and then to the elf.

“What did you do?” she asks him quietly.

“I did nothing. The credit is yours.” He assures her, she cocks her head slightly as he studies her, reads her, his magic brushing against hers. Where hers burns his seems to be older, softer, more controlled than hers.

“I closed that thing? How?” She asks him.

“Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand,” Solas explains. “I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach’s wake – and it seems I was correct.”

“Meaning it could also close the Breach itself.” Cassandra points out as she moves closer to them.

“Possibly” Solas kind of agrees with her, Daenerys brushes her fingers over her marked palm. Solas looks back at Daenerys. “It seems you hold the key to our salvation,” Solas tells Daenerys.

“Good to know!” The dwarf comments as he approaches setting his crossbow onto his back. “Here I thought we’d be ass-deep in demons forever.” Varric's eyes are on Daenerys. “Varric Tethras: rogue, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong.” he introduces himself, then winks at Cassandra, who scowls back at him.

“Daenerys” Daenerys offers, Varric inclines his head slightly. “Are you with the Chantry, or…?” She starts to asks, The elf chuckles slightly.

“Was that a serious question?” He teases, Daenerys raises an eyebrow at the elf.

“Technically I’m a prisoner, just like you.” Varric corrects gaining her attention again.

“I brought you here to tell your story to the Divine” Cassandra points out. “Clearly that is no longer necessary”

“Yet, here I am. Lucky for you, considering current events.” Varric counters, he and Cassandra share a look.

“It’s nice to meet you, Varric,” Daenerys tells Varric.

“You may reconsider that stance, in time,” Solas mutters loud enough for them to hear.

“Aww. I’m sure we’ll become great friends in the valley, Chuckles.” Varric comments with a smirk, highly amused.

“Absolutely not” Cassandra argues shifting her stance. “Your help is appreciated, Varric, but…”

“Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker?” Varric asks her. “Your soldiers aren’t in control anymore. You need me.” Cassandra makes a disgusted noise and turns away from the dwarf.

“My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions” the elf introduces himself, Daenerys turns her eyes to him. “I’m pleased to see you still live.”

“He means, ‘I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.'” Varric explains, Daenerys raises an eyebrow.

“You seem to know a great deal about it all.” Daenerys comments.

“Like you, Solas is an apostate.” Cassandra points out.

“Technically, all mages are now apostates” Daenerys reminds her, Cassandra raises an eyebrow and then nods in agreement.

“My travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any Circle mage” Solas offers in explanation. “I came to offer whatever help I can give with the Breach. If it is not closed, we are all doomed regardless of origin.”

“And what will you do once this is all over?” Daenerys asks him.

“One hopes that those in power will remember who helped, and who did not.” Solas answers, Daenerys nods a little in understanding. “Cassandra, you should know: the magic involved here is unlike any I have ever seen,” Solas informs the Seeker. “Daenerys is a mage, but I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power.”

“Understood” Cassandra states but there is a disappointment in her tone, Daenerys knew she would be looking to lay the blame onto her, they want to put the blame on someone and Daenerys is convenient. “We must get to the forward camp quickly,” Cassandra asks already walking away, Daenerys looks to the shard of wood in her hand.

“Well, Bianca’s excited!” Varric teases as he steps to Daenerys' side, Solas on her other. Cassandra peers over a pile of rubble, it is the clearest way through.

“This way, down the bank,” Cassandra tells them. “The road ahead is blocked.” she motions to the blocked straight route, over the rubble is the only way they can go.

“We must move quickly,” Solas adds before he moves towards Cassandra, Varric glances up at Daenerys, sees the slight fear in her eyes, the pain, the unease. He gives her a smile and she nods back. She'll do it. She'll do what she has to, to survive this mess. 


	8. Question

Readers

So I was looking at the way dragons age in GOT, and it is over years rather than months. And as Inquisition takes place only over one year I have three options, three different paths I could take to alter the game and/or dragons:

**1.** Dragons age as they do in GOT, the length of Inquisition is longer, years (GOT takes place over 8 years, too long for Inquisition??) rather than one single one

**2.** Dragons age at 2x the speed in which they do in GOT, lengthen Inquisition to 4-5 years. Basically speeding up the dragon aspect

(With travel times and stuff, 1 and 2 are the most realistic especially as I plan on Daenerys being more involved that we are in the game, there will be more Orlais, more King Alistair, the Free Marches, Tevinter....the Anderfels. I really plan on having her being really involved in Thedas)

**3.** Great Dragons grow quicker than regular dragons, they grow large within months. Keeping Inquisition at one year. 


	9. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - I think I will go with making Inquisition 3 years long (Plus the 2 years for Trespasser brings it up to 5 years in total, nice and round) Dragons age at just over double the rate they do in GOT, I think that is a reasonable amount of time, an extra two years for the things I want to add in, plus the realistic travel times and the messenger times.

Making it to the Forward camp is exhausting despite its short distance, Daenerys believes the mark may be consuming her energy and as such, with the magic she uses and the effort of actually climbing the side of a mountain, all she wants to do is pass out and sleep for days. She's also hungry, not sure when the last time she ate actually was, before the Conclave possible, days...days ago. She lags a little behind Cassandra who pushes through to the Forward camp like the warrior she is. Leliana and a Chantry Chancellor are stood arguing at a desk just in front of a pitched tent.

“We must prepare the soldiers!” Leliana snaps, agitated and impatient, this man getting on her last nerve.

“We will do no such thing.”

“The prisoner must get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It is our only chance!”

“You have already caused enough trouble without resorting to this exercise in futility.”

“I have caused trouble?” Leliana asks.

“You, Cassandra, the Most Holy – haven’t you all done enough already?”

“You’re not in command here!” Leliana scolds stepping closer to him, so very close to just killing him and being done with it.

“Enough! I will not have it!” The Chancellor turns and spots Cassandra first, then his eyes harden as he notices Daenerys behind her. “Ah, here they come” he comments, Leliana relaxes following his line of sight before she moves around the table to greet them.

“You made it. Chancellor Roderick, this is–”

“I know who she is” Roderick interrupts Leliana. He looks at Cassandra. “As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution.”

“'Order me’? You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!” Cassandra scolds stepping closer to him, her rage obvious and seething.

“And you are a thug, but a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!” Roderick counters.

“We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor, as you well know.” Leliana reminds him harshly.

“Justinia is dead!” Roderick snaps, the whole camp falling silent as they all listen in. “We must elect her replacement, and obey her orders on the matter.”

“Isn’t closing the Breach the more pressing issue?” Daenerys asks him, Roderick snaps his eyes to her and moves closer.

“You brought this on us in the first place!” he scolds pointing a finger at her, Daenerys looks at the finger and raises an eyebrow at it, Roderick at least has the right sense to lower his finger. “Call a retreat, Seeker. Our position here is hopeless.”

“We can stop this before it’s too late,” Cassandra informs him. Roderick scoffs.

“How? You won’t survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers.”

“It’s the quickest route.” Cassandra counters.

“But not the safest” Leliana argues. “Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains.”

“We lost contact with an entire squad on that path. It’s too risky.” Cassandra tells her friend.

“Listen to me. Abandon this now, before more lives are lost.” Roderick begs of them. The Breach expands and so does the mark on Daenerys' hand. She hisses through the pain and clenches her other fist.

“How do you think we should proceed?” Cassandra asks Daenerys, Daenerys lifts her eyes to meet those of the Seeker.

“Now you’re asking me what I think?” Daenerys counters cocking her head in question.

“You have the mark.” Solas reminds her.

“And you are the one we must keep alive” Cassandra adds, desperation creeping into her tone. “Since we cannot agree on our own…” Daenerys sighs and looks up at the Breach, she's already exhausted so climbing higher up the mountain might just kill her, but on the other hand, charging, headfirst into a fight might do that too. She lets out a breath and then nods.

“Use the mountain path” Daenerys offers. “Work together. You all know what’s at stake.” Cassandra appears disappointed for a moment before relenting, it is a decision, whether she agrees with it or not, something has been settled on. Cassandra turns to Leliana.

“Leliana. Bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone.”

“On your head be the consequences, Seeker,” Roderick warns as they walk away from him, heading out of the camp and towards the mountain pass.

….......

From then on, it's kind of fuzzy in Daenerys' head. Her exhaustion, hunger, pain and magical drain making it extremely difficult for her to concentrate on anything. She is aware that it gets colder, or at least, she does. She is aware that there was the stench of death at the temple, burning, and pain lingering in the air. And she is aware that there might have been a pride demon. After that....nothing. Just darkness and red fur. She is sure there was red fur against her cheek at some point but that could be her imagination playing with her. 

….........

Candlelight illuminates the cabin in which Daenerys sleeps. Solas holds her marked hand, pressing his magic into it, behind him, apothecary Adan mixes herbs into a health potion. Both of them doing what they can to make sure Daenerys wakes up. The Breach is closed, she did it. But it has taken its toll on her body, exhausted as it already was. There is a bowl of soup cooling on the dresser waiting for her to wake. Clean clothing beside the bowl. But she has to wake up first. Cassandra lingers in the doorway, her arms folded over her chest as she waits. Much like everyone else in Haven. Waiting for their savior to wake. Solas glances back at her, the two of them sharing a look before Cassandra leaves them to it, closing the door behind her. All they can do now....is wait. 


	10. Chapter Four

Daenerys dreams of the Breach, of the green darkness of the fade. Haunts her dreams, her memories. Lightning crackles behind her eyes before the shoot open, Daenerys sitting upright in a bed. Solas is instantly at her side as her marked hand flares up with her alarm. The remnants of her nightmare chasing her out.

“Easy,” Solas tells her as her magic pulses inside and then out of her, reacting to her nightmare. Her memory. She looks around the cabin she's in.

“Where am I?” she asks him.

“Back in Haven” he answers. “After you closed the Breach you fell unconscious” he touches her shoulder and pushes her back. “You need to rest” he scolds and gives her a look. She sighs but does as she is told.

“So it worked?” she whispers slightly as he pokes at her marked hand.

“Not completely” he corrects. “But good enough for now” she glances at him.

“What happens now?” she asks him. “Am I still their prisoner?” He clears his throat and shakes his head.

“Not....their prisoner” she cocks her head in question. “Some are calling you the Herald of Andraste for what you did at the temple”

“The Herald of Andraste?” she asks slowly as if testing the title. He nods. “But...it wasn't divine, it was magic...” she wiggles the fingers of her marked hand and he nods in agreement.

“Yes, but most saw you take on the Breach...and do more than anyone else has done in the days since it happened” he releases her hand and grabs a bandage from the side to bind her hand. “It has stopped growing, and it has stopped creating rifts....you saved us” she shakes her head.

“I did not do it alone” she corrects, he glances at her. “I would not have made it to the temple without help, without Varric, Cassandra, and yourself, and the soldiers that were fighting” he gives her a small smile. Modesty. So rare in those with power. He wonders if it will change her as time goes on, whether that power will corrupt her as it does most others that gain it. He stands and moves to the desk near the bed.

“Your staff has seen better days” he states lifting the wood shard from the desk.

“It is not my staff” she argues. “It was just a chunk of wood I found.....I do not like to use one” she admits swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “They are bulky and obvious...enemies are far more surprised if you set them on fire without the use of a staff” Solas smirks a little and nods.

“I would assume they would be” he agrees as he sets the wood down.

“Plus my hands were always laden with books in the Circle, I could never carry a staff” she gives him a small smile.

“You were an avid reader?” he asks, she nods.

“My first book was this dusty old tome at the back of the library, hadn't been touched in decades....maybe even longer. It was the book that started my love of dragons” she admits. “Manaveris Dracona by Rhaenyra Targaryen” she sighs a little. “I had to leave it behind when we fled the Spire” she looks down and touches the edge of the weird beige shirt she's wearing. “Had to leave behind a lot of things” she adds quietly, her voice breaking with her emotions.

“Cassandra will want to talk with you now you are awake” Solas changes the subject, sensing her upset and her pain at the thought of what she's lost, what they've all lost to the Breach.

…............

Daenerys shivers as she steps out of the cabin and into Haven's frigid air. Whatever she is wearing is not thick enough to deal with the cold air, she tugs on the cloak around her shoulder, trying to bundle herself into it.

“Is it always so cold here?” She asks tugging the cloak tighter still around herself. Solas glances back at her.

“You were with the mage rebellion, did you not get used to the climate whilst traveling with them?” He asks her.

“Myself and a few others spent our rebellion in Orlais” She admits. “Before that....the Spire, and...Ostwick. I don't really have that much experience with the cold...”

“No” he agrees as they head down the steps, Daenerys wary as she notes the people leaving the cabins, moving closer to the path, to look at her, all with varying expressions, awe and thanks to fear and unease. She takes a deep breath and holds her head up high as she walks at Solas' side.

…..............

Daenerys and Solas walk through the halls of the candlelit Chantry, it's empty, save for them and whoever is talking on the other side of the door ahead of them. Roderick from the sound of it. Daenerys slows her steps to listen.

“Have you gone completely mad? She should be taken to Val Royeaux immediately, to be tried by whomever becomes Divine.” Roderick yells, Solas pauses at the door and glances back at Daenerys.

“I do not believe she is guilty,” Cassandra argues with Roderick beyond the door.

“The prisoner failed, Seeker. The Breach is still in the sky. For all you know, she intended it this way.”

“I do not believe that.”

“That is not for you to decide. Your duty is to serve the Chantry.”

“My duty is to serve the principles on which the Chantry was founded, Chancellor. As is yours.” Cassandra snaps back, Daenerys takes a deep breath and rolls her shoulders back before nodding to Solas, he turns and opens the door, the room beyond falling silent. Daenerys walks passed Solas and into the room. Two templars stand guard at the door from the inside while Roderick, Cassandra, and Leliana argue around a table. Roderick turns a glare on Daenerys.

“Chain her. I want her prepared for travel to the capital for trial.” Roderick orders of the Templars, Daenerys glances at them, watching them.

“Disregard that, and leave us.” Cassandra counters, the Templars listen to her, salute her and leave. “Thank you, Solas,” Cassandra tells the elf, dismissing him, Solas inclines his head before leaving Daenerys to Cassandra, Leliana, and Roderick, Daenerys glances around each of them.

“You walk a dangerous line, Seeker.” Roderick scolds.

“The Breach is stable, but it is still a threat. I will not ignore it.” Cassandra reminds him.

“I did everything I could to close the Breach” Daenerys points out pressing her fingers down into her palm. “It almost killed me.”

“Yet you live,” Roderick tells her with a sneer. “A convenient result, insofar as you’re concerned.”

“Have a care, Chancellor” Cassandra hisses at the Chancellor who steps back from her. “The Breach is not the only threat we face.”

“Someone was behind the explosion at the Conclave” Leliana speaks now. “Someone Most Holy did not expect. Perhaps they died with the others – or have allies who yet live.”

“I am a suspect?” Roderick asks surprised.

“You, and many others” Leliana answers, Roderick's expression shifts slightly.

“But not the prisoner.”

“I heard the voices in the temple,” Cassandra admits as she looks to Daenerys, Daenerys holds her head up, hiding her trembling fingers in her palms. She is innocent. Which she knew. She knew she didn't do it. There is no way she had the power to literally tear the heavens in two. But now they know it too. They believe her innocence. “The Divine called to her for help,” Cassandra adds.

“So her survival, that thing on her hand – all a coincidence?” Roderick asks, there is a sense to his tone, that he needs an answer to make sense of this all. He needs the answer to explain what is happening to the world. To know that the Maker has a hand in this all.

“Providence” Cassandra answers him. “The Maker sent her to us in our darkest hour.”

“'Though all before me is shadow, yet shall the Maker be my guide.'” Daenerys recites and then looks to Cassandra who nods.

“We lost everything… then, out of nowhere, you came.” Cassandra offers.

“The Breach remains and your mark is our only hope of closing it.” Leliana goes for the more strategic, save the world statement rather than one of religion.

“This is not for you to decide,” Roderick argues. Cassandra slams a big heavy thick book down on the table. Daenerys glances down at it just as Roderick does.

“You know what this is, Chancellor?” Cassandra asks him. “A writ from the Divine, granting us the authority to act. As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn.” Cassandra backs Roderick up against the wall, poking him in the chest as she continues. “We will close the Breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order with or without your approval.” She leans back allowing for Roderick to flee, not without a glare at Daenerys first, she keeps her eyes down on the book, Leliana notes her gaze and steps closer to the table to talk to her.

“This is the Divine’s directive: Rebuild the Inquisition of old. Find those who will stand against the chaos” She explains to Daenerys who nods a little. “We aren’t ready. We have no leader, no numbers, and now no Chantry support.” Leliana tells Cassandra who sighs a little.

“But we have no choice: We must act now” Cassandra argues, then both women's eyes are on Daenerys who looks up. “With you at our side.”

“The Inquisition?” she asks. “As in...Pre-Templars, and Pre-Seekers?” Cassandra seems surprised but impressed. “There wasn't much else to do in the Circle” Daenerys explains. “Except reading”

“Yes,” Leliana tells Daenerys. “They were people who banded together to restore order in a world gone mad.”

“But the Templars have lost their way,” Cassandra argues. “We need those who can do what must be done united under a single banner once more.”

“If you’re truly trying to restore order…” Daenerys starts. “To build a better world”

“That is the plan,” Leliana assures her, Daenerys nods and turns to them both.

“Help us fix this before it’s too late,” Cassandra adds, Daenerys holds out her hand to the Seeker, they share a look before Cassandra takes it.

“I will do whatever you deem necessary to fix what is broken....” Daenerys assures them. 


	11. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - So I did some math, and getting to Skyhold takes 200 odd days including realistic travel times and the idea that the Herald spends a month in the Hinterlands and at the Storm Coast to do absolutely everything, two weeks in the Fallow Mire, and two days in Val Royeaux (with 3o days round trip travel times fo VR). (2 days for the Redcliffe Mage mission (it would be longer for the Templars), plus the 1 day closing the Breach) There is no way the game can take place in only 1 year. Not with the repairs to Skyhold, or the travel to Adamant (with travel and 2 days at the fortress it takes about 44 days), Halamshiral (14 days) and the other Orlais locations. (Western Approach takes 21 days on horseback to get to, Emerald Graves - 14 days, Hissing Wastes - 25 days) Not including time spent bonding with companions or time with a love interest, or the war table missions)

Daenerys and Cassandra walk together away from the war room this time, side by side, in silence, both thinking about what is about to happen, what has happened, what is at stake here. If they fail. If they win. Everything is changing. Both are still silent as they leave the Chantry and it's warmth, outside the cold air whips at Daenerys' cheeks, she shivers and tugs on her cloak, wanting it closer, her magic pulsing through her, trying to combat it.

“What happens now?” Daenerys asks Cassandra who nods and takes a breath before turning to her.

“It's going to take time for us to ready ourselves” Cassandra explains. “Talk to Harritt about getting some armor” she offers.

“Armor?” Daenerys asks her, Cassandra nods.

“You can hardly be fighting in that” Cassandra points to Daenerys' outfit, Daenerys frowns down at herself and then shrugs in agreement.

“Oh,” she breathes. She hadn't even thought about the fact they'd want her to fight. But she'd have to. They will need her to close those rifts Cassandra mentioned. She is the only one capable of closing them. She is the only one that is here because they have no choice. She could leave, but she doubts she'd get very far before they drag her back. She curls her fingers into her marked hand, pressing into the wound.

“Then come back to the Chantry” Cassandra offers. “I will introduce you to the others” Cassandra then walks away, leaving Daenerys alone, she takes a breath looking around. They have set up well. This village is fine, but it could be better, where are the defenses? Other than the soldiers? And swallows a little and lets out a breath. Her nerves now getting to her. She actually has to do this. Be this...Herald, they think she is. The savior they think she is. She has to be their figure of Andraste.

“You look a little lost there, kid” Varric states from where he sits in front of a fire, Daenerys turns to him and gives him a small smile.

“I don't know where I am supposed to go” she admits, he smiles and stands to move closer to her.

“Who are you looking for?” He asks her softly, sensing how lost she really is.

“Harritt” she answers.

“He's out front,” he tells her. “I'll show you” he motions for her to follow after him, Daenerys does so. She needs the help. And she is not afraid or too proud to take it. Plus Varric has been nothing but kind to her.

…..........

Cassandra is waiting for Daenerys when she walks back to the Chantry, she had changed out of the clothing she was wearing when she woke up. Whilst her armor will take time to make, there was already a dress waiting for her, possibly arranged for whilst she was asleep. She likes is. The fabric is solid and thick enough to withstand the cold air but flexible enough to move with her. Though blue is not a color she would usually wear she understands that the light color is supposed to make her seem more like Andraste's Herald. A soft palette. Welcoming and warm. The bath was welcome too, waiting for her in the cabin, with the rebellion it has been a long time since she's had a real bath with oils. Cassandra pushes open the Chantry doors and the two of the head inside together. Daenerys glances down at her marked hand, the green scar almost glaring up at her.

“Does it trouble you?” Cassandra asks her, Daenerys takes a breath and lowers her hand.

“If it wasn’t enough to close the Breach, what use is it?” Daenerys ponders.

“You did everything we asked of you,” Cassandra assures her.

“And it still didn’t work,” Daenerys argues.

“What’s important is that your mark is now stable, as is the Breach. You’ve given us time, and Solas believes that a second attempt might succeed – provided the mark has more power. The same level of power used to open the Breach in the first place. That is not easy to come by.”

“Clearly you have something in mind.” Daenerys comments.

“We do” Cassandra agrees with her and then opens the war room door, both of the women heading inside, where the advisors – Cullen, Josephine, and Leliana – are waiting for them. “May I present Commander Cullen, leader of the Inquisition’s forces,” Cassandra tells Daenerys, Cullen shifts where he stands and inclines his head to Daenerys in greeting. Daenerys lets her eyes wander only for a moment, he is the typical soldier, tall, broad, strong. 

“Such as they are. We lost many soldiers in the valley, and I fear many more before this is through.” He comments.

“This is lady Josephine Montilyet, our ambassador and chief diplomat,” Cassandra adds moving on.

“I’ve heard much. A pleasure to meet you at last.” Josephine tells Daenerys.

“And of course you know Sister Leliana.” Cassandra motions to Leliana.

“My position here involves a degree of…” Leliana starts.

“She is our spymaster.” Cassandra interrupts Leliana who gapes a little before scowling.

“Yes. Tactfully put, Cassandra.” Leliana scolds, Daenerys raises an eyebrow and glances to each of them.

“Pleased to meet you all” Daenerys offers. “Cassandra tells me you have a plan.”

“I mentioned that your mark needs more power to close the Breach for good.”

“Which means we must approach your fellow rebel mages for help.” Leliana comments, Daenerys nods in agreement, she was hoping to get more of her own people to join her here.

“And I still disagree” Cullen adds. “The Templars could serve just as well.”

“We need power, Commander” Cassandra disagrees. “Enough magic poured into that mark–”

“Might destroy us all.” Cullen interrupts Cassandra. “Templars could suppress the breach, weaken it so–”

“Pure speculation.” Leliana points out, Daenerys' eyes track the argument.

“I was a Templar. I know what they’re capable of.”

“And I am a mage” Daenerys comments, Cullen looks to her. “I know what they are capable of” The two of them share a look, Cullen's jaw tense with the argument within the room.

“Unfortunately, neither group will even speak to us yet” Josephine interrupts. “The Chantry has denounced the Inquisition – and you, specifically.”

“They still think I’m guilty?” Daenerys asks taking her eyes from Cullen to look at Josephine.

“That is not the entirety of it any longer.” Josephine answers. “Some are calling you the ‘Herald of Andraste,’ and that frightens the Chantry. The remaining Clerics have declared it blasphemy, and we heretics for harboring you.”

“Chancellor Roderick’s doing, no doubt.” Cassandra points out, Daenerys hums in agreement. He really doesn't like her.

“It limits our options,” Josephine informs them. “Approaching the mages or Templars for help is currently out of the question.”

“They aren’t more concerned about the Breach? The real threat?” Daenerys asks.

“They do know that it is a threat, they just don’t think we can stop it.” Cullen answers, she sighs a little.

“The Chantry is telling everyone that you’ll make it worse,” Josephine adds.

“There is something you can do” Leliana offers. “A Chantry Cleric by the name Mother Giselle has asked to speak to you. She is not far, and knows those involved far better than I. Her assistance could be invaluable.”

“Why would someone from the Chantry help a declared heretic?” Daenerys asks Leliana.

“I understand she is a reasonable sort. Perhaps she doesn’t agree with her sisters?” Leliana offers in way of an explanation. “You’ll find Mother Giselle tending to the wounded in the Hinterlands near Redcliffe.”

“Look for other opportunities to expand the Inquisition’s influence while you’re there.” Cullen offers.

“We need agents to extend our reach beyond this valley, and you’re better suited than anyone to recruit them,” Josephine assures Daenerys who takes a deep breath standing up a little taller.

“In the meantime, let’s think of other options. I won’t leave this all to the Herald.” Cassandra offers and then looks to Daenerys. 


	12. Chapter Six

Daenerys walks, again, with Cassandra, this time heading away from the war room, Daenerys heart pounds in her chest. So much responsibility. So much riding on her succeeding. Daenerys stops and turns to her.

“What do we do now?” She asks. “Harritt said my armor will not be ready for weeks...”

“For now, borrow some, anything that fits” Cassandra states. “This cannot wait” Daenerys nods in agreement. “And talk to Josephine about supplies” Cassandra gives her a small encouraging smile and then walks away, yet again.

“Daenerys?” Daenerys turns to Josephine who gives her a welcoming smile, Leliana and Cullen pass her and then Daenerys, each with a respectful nod. Cullen pauses by the doors to look back at Daenerys as she moves closer to Josephine. Daenerys hides it well, but she does seem overwhelmed and terrified by this whole thing, to be fair, anyone would be in her shoes.

….......

Daenerys follows Josephine into the office next to the war table, it is small but comfy, Daenerys assumes most of Haven is like this. Josephine turns slightly to a small female elf stood over a workspace.

“Minaeve” Josephine tells the elf who looks up and across at her, notices Daenerys and stands up taller because she is in the presence of the Herald of Andraste. “Do you mind?” Josephine gives Minaeve a look.

“Right away, Lady Montilyet” Minaeve states and then bows at Daenerys. “Your worship” Minaeve then leaves the room, closing the door behind her, Josephine takes a seat at her desk, which is covered in piles of letters and notes.

“Words of both support and condemnation come in every day,” Josephine tells her as she sorts through a pile of letters on her desk. “Many letters of condemnation” Josephine takes a breath and smiles at Daenerys. “I was hoping to ask you some questions whilst you were still here, just for when people ask us about you....” Daenerys nods as she moves closer to the desk.

“Of course” Daenerys assures Josephine, it is only understandable that people will want to know all about the Herald of Andraste. “What would you like to know?”

“As a mage, I think a great place to start would be: which Circle you spent your years studying at?”

“Originally...Ostwick, but I was moved to The White Spire when I was fifteen” Daenerys sits across from Josephine.

“Why the transfer?”

“My studies” She answers. “I specialized in draconology and they didn't have the resources in Ostwick.....”

“Dragons” Josephine nods a little and smiles. “Alright, that's...different. What about your parents?”

“I was raised by Bann and Lady Trevelyan of Ostwick...” Daenerys admits.

“But not born to?” Josephine counters, Daenerys looks down at the war table and runs her fingers over the top of it.

“No” Daenerys answers. “My...” she takes a deep breath and looks up. “My...My title name is...Daenerys Stormborn”

“Daenerys Stormborn” Josephine states in awe as she drops her quill. “The heir to the thrones of Orlais and Ferelden? Maric's daughter? Florianne's daughter?”

“Please,” Daenerys asks of her. “Do not tell the others, not yet, not until I've written to Alistair” Josephine sighs a little. “It's not that I need his permission to tell people who I am, but I would rather have his blessing and his help....he will help me” Josephine gives her a smile and nods.

“Having the King of Ferelden on our side would be beneficial....and will open some doors regarding Ferelden nobility, hopefully”

“I'll have the letter ready to send before I leave” Daenerys assures Josephine. “I know you keeping quiet about this is a huge ask”

“I know why you want to keep it between us” Josephine stops her. “We are not here to step on anyone's feet, and Alistair has very big feet”

“Thank you for understanding,” Daenerys tells her.

“What about your mother?” Josephine asks making notes. “Is there any way to ask for her support”

“I haven't had any contact with my mother since the day she sent me off to Denerim to live with Maric” Daenerys admits. “Gaspard was around though, he sent books, letters, gifts....”

“You lived with Maric?” Josephine asks, Daenerys shrugs a little.

“Not for very long, too many attempts on my life, so he sent me to Ostwick to live with the Trevelyans”

“The Trevelyans are still a notable noble house in the Free Marches” Josephine assures her. “Help is still help, and we need all the help and the allies we can get” There is a knock on the door and a young man enters, a box in his hands. Josephine stands to greet him. “Thank you, Jeremy” Josephine states as she takes the box of supplies from him. She turns to Daenerys. “I had Jeremy put together a box of travel essentials. From potions to socks” Daenerys looks to Jeremy who blushes slightly as he looks down.

“The scouts swear by the heat stones” he comments. “And the herbal tea”

“I look forward to testing it,” Daenerys tells him with a smile. “I shall bring notes back with me” Jeremy smiles and nods.

“That would be welcome. Thank you, your worship” Jeremy tells her bowing before he leaves the room.

“What is his story?” Daenerys asks, Josephine sets the box on her desk.

“He was part of a nobleman's guard, only a year into his service, he and few of the younger guards remained in Haven whilst the rest of them went to the Conclave with their lord....he has proven to be incredibly adept at taking care of others since then” Josephine sets a few more things into the box. “The supply packs are just one of the tasks he undertakes...he is proving to be invaluable” Daenerys moves to Josephine's side, they share a look. “I know we're asking a lot of you” Josephine starts.

“And I'll do it to the best of my capabilities” Daenerys assures her. “I just worry that won't be enough”

“We will find a way” Josephine adds. “Together” Daenerys smiles and nods. 


	13. Chapter Seven

The borrowed armor doesn't fit in any way, but Daenerys has no choice but to wear it. Her small frame made it difficult to find anything at the right length. She and Josephine stand together in the Chantry, Daenerys had stayed up all night to get her letter to Alistair right. The possible future of the whole Inquisition depends on his assistance and backing. Whilst she and Alistair have some form of relationship, it's not exactly the best sibling relationship. She had a stronger one with Cailan, but he's dead now. Daenerys holds out her letter to Alistair to Josephine who takes it from her with a nod.

“Hopefully we will have a reply by the time you return” Josephine comments.

“I also have letters for Gaspard and the Trevelyan's” Daenerys adds handing out two more letters to her. “I thought it best they hear from me directly”

“Agreed” Josephine assures her as she takes the letters.

“Daenerys” Cassandra states from the doorway, Daenerys nods and takes a breath, adjusting the armor slightly. Josephine touches her arm.

“Everything will be okay” Josephine assures her. “Cassandra has your back, as do Varric and Solas, they'll look out for you”

“I do not doubt it” Daenerys agrees and then leaves with Cassandra.

…........

Cullen closes the top of the box on his desk as he leans up. It's a gift. For Daenerys. Just something to get her started. And maybe a way to properly introduce himself to her, outside of the war room. They are to be working together, a little familiarity will help. He learned that being too formal, too professional could mean that things slip through, bad things. If he maybe paid more attention to Meredith he might have seen what was going on. Maybe he could have done something to stop her before it got as far as it did. He looks up hearing voices outside of his tent. Cassandra's voice loudest over the sounds of the rest of Haven. People can hear Cassandra coming from miles away. Daenerys' voice is softer following. They're talking about the Hinterlands. He listens to them, eyes tracking the sounds as they pass by. Even her voice is calming. A soft determination in every word. A strong resolve. It's part of why he couldn't take his eyes off of Daenerys during the meeting. There was something about her, more than her being their 'herald', more than her being there to save them. A power to her. And yes, he knows she's a mage and they all have power to them but Daenerys feels different. Older. Hotter. And she happens to be beautiful. The people will come to love that about her. That she has a kind look about her. A beauty to her that makes it easier to believe that Andraste sent her. Cullen takes a breath and picks up the box and then leaves his tent.

…...........

Daenerys stands alone when Cullen approaches her, Cassandra picking up her sword from Harritt. Varric is cleaning his crossbow and Solas is double-checking his pack has all the supplies they need. Daenerys looks a little out of place. Nervous but hiding it. He takes a deep breath and approaches Daenerys.

“Daenerys....” Cullen greets. “Herald” He corrects himself, she turns to him and smiles softly, politely.

“Commander” she offers in greeting.

“I asked the mages for some help and they dug this out for you” Cullen hands Daenerys a box, she frowns at it and then at him. “It's a staff” he admits. “I heard yours was.....less than...fit for wielding” she takes the box from him.

“Thank you,” she tells him, actually a little touched by this. He didn't have to do this. She could have easily just picked one up herself and she actually hadn't thought about it. She should have. “I hadn't even considered finding a new one” she admits looking up at him. “This is really thoughtful”

“You need to be able to protect yourself” He comments. “Plus it's a really nice staff” he offers, she laughs a little and smiles at him. “The mages were more than willing for you to have it” she opens the box and smiles down at the staff. It's beautiful. Well crafted. She nods.

“This is perfect,” she tells him. “Will you pass on my thanks?”

“Of course” he assures her softly.

“Herald!” Cassandra yells of her, Daenerys looks back at her, Cassandra, Solas, and Varric ready to go, Daenerys turns to Cullen.

“You should go before she drags you” Daenerys smirks and nods, her fingers clutching to the staff box. Daenerys then heads towards her companions. Cullen notes the looks from Cassandra and rubs the back of his neck before heading back into Haven, a blush working onto his cheeks.

…...............

Cullen kneels before a statue of Andraste in the Chantry, his daily spiritual pray underway. He tries to reach out to Andraste and the Maker at least once a day, to keep his faith strong, to seek guidance in these troubled times. He hopes for some sign that the Maker can hear him, is listening to him, but Cullen knows that no one hears him. He stiffens slightly hearing the Chantry doors open followed by footsteps and light laughter. Josephine and Leliana. He pushes himself to his feet and turns to greet them.

“So...what do you think?” Leliana asks as she and Josephine approach him, Cullen sighs a little knowing just why the women are coming to talk to him.

“About?” he asks, both women shoot him a look.

“About Daenerys” Josephine answers. Cullen rests his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“I will admit that I am worried about her being a mage” he admits, neither woman looks surprised by that. “Not because she is a mage, not in the way you are thinking” he is quick to argue. “But...the way people will see her because she is one, it may close more doors than it opens. But she does have the image we need” He adds. “The...beautiful, warm, young woman, who has a remarkable resemblance to Andraste herself” Leliana nods in agreement, she noticed it too. “With the soft smile and the determination and drive to move us forward, but none of that will matter, if people can't look past the magic”

“I am working on a solution that will garner an alliance that could boost morale and raise our influence” Leliana and Cullen raise eyebrows at Josephine. “I cannot say just yet” she adds. “I am awaiting some letters and I would discuss it with Daenerys first”

“The Herald?” Cullen asks.

“The alliance was her idea” Josephine answers. “And it is through her that it could happen but until it does...or does not I would rather keep it to myself”

“Reasonable” Leliana assures her. “And I agree” she nods to Cullen. “Daenerys has this powerful but restraint air about her. A backbone like royalty” Josephine smirks a little and looks down trying to hide it. “She will be a strong figurehead and when she proves that the Inquisition is here to help, that we are trying to mend the sky, people will see past the magic”

“I hope you are right” Cullen offers. “As we are, we cannot do anything but wait” 


	14. Chapter Eight

The closest they get to the Crossroads is an Inquisition camp set up on a cliff edge. Soldiers and scouts mill about, preparing their weapons and their armor. Daenerys sits on a stool as she glances around them, her eyes tracking them but she seems....thoughtful. They'd arrived late in the night and crashed into tents. She didn't sleep but from the snores coming from the tent beside her assures her that Cassandra at least did. But that is not what kept Daenerys awake. Everything else kept her awake. Her mind working on ways to help the people hurt by this war, by the Breach, she has the power to do something now, to help, and she is going to do everything she can. In her head is a list of ways she wants to help. Food. Blankets. Tents. Housing if she can. Clothing. Safety.

“How are you feeling?” Varric asks as he sits beside Daenerys, she glances at him and gives him a small smile.

“Tired” she admits quietly.

“It is a long trip” he agrees. “And you barely slept” he adds, she shrugs a little.

“Hard to sleep now, knowing that ” she admits and holds out her marked hand, it flares green with the breach magic and she sighs. “When it feels like my hand is being unstitched from the inside” she clenches her fingers into her mark. “Solas has done what he can on pain relief but I think it's a pain that goes bone-deep”

“Here” Varric holds out a small pouch and gives her a smile. “It might not take away your pain but it will help you sleep” Daenerys takes the pouch from him and gives him a grateful nod. “Hawke swears by it” He adds.

“I appreciate this” she assures him. “I am not going to be very useful if I am dead on my feet”

“You can catch a few hours now, if you need to” He offers, she shakes her head.

“No” She argues. “No, I want to get started, I will sleep tonight knowing that I have put in motion things that need to be done” Behind them, Cassandra leaves her tent as she ties her scabbard around her waist, her eyes instantly finding Daenerys and Varric sat together. She runs her fingers through her hair and then approaches the two of them.

“Did you sleep?” Cassandra asks looking over Daenerys, sees the lack of sleep in her eyes.

“I am fine, Cassandra” Daenerys assures her as she stands. “I used to spend my nights perusing the library at the Spire, reading by candlelight until my eyes burned, I could go days without sleep, I am fine, and I will continue to be fine. But thank you for thinking of my welfare” Cassandra nods a little as Solas joins them.

“Without you, we have no way to close the rifts” Solas offers. “It is not only your welfare at stake here”

“I understand the burden on my shoulders” Daenerys assures him. “The responsibility placed on me because of this” she holds up her marked hand. “I will not let it go to waste” She promises him as she lowers her hand.

“The Herald of Andraste” A young dwarven woman states as she approaches Daenerys, her eyes scanning over the platinum-haired woman. “I've heard the stories. Everyone has” She exclaims. “We know what you did at the Breach. It is an honor to meet you, my lady” She inclines her head to Daenerys who returns the motion at her. “Inquisition Scout Harding at your service”

“Daenerys” Daenerys offers and holds out her hand, Harding takes it with a friendly smile.

“I...well...all of us here will do whatever we can to help” Harding assures her as they release one another.

“Harding, huh?” Varric asks. “You ever been to Kirkwall's Hightown?”

“I can't say I have, why?” Harding counters.

“You'd he Harding in Hightown” Varric answers with an amused smirk, Solas, Cassandra, and Daenerys all look at him. “Never mind” Varric adds, Cassandra makes a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. Daenerys turns back to Harding.

“I'm starting to worry about these stories that everyone's heard” Daenerys admits, Cassandra nods in agreement.

“Oh, there's nothing to worry about” Harding offers. “They only say that you are the last great hope for Thedas” Daenerys' eyes widen as Varric lets out a small laugh.

“Oh,” Daenerys states. “Wonderful” She looks at Cassandra who shares her expression, the stories might be out there to give hope, but putting Daenerys at the top of that hope means that she cannot fail. She would ruin the hope of every last person that believes in her.

“The Hinterlands are a good a place as any to start fixing things.” Harding offers. “We came to secure horses from Redcliffe's old horse master. I grew up here and people always said that Dennet's herds were the strongest and the fastest this side of the Frostbacks but with the mage-templar fighting getting worse we couldn't get to him. Maker even knows if he's even still alive.” Harding takes a steadying breath. “Mother Giselle is at the Crossroads helping refugees and the wounded. Our reports say that the war has spread there too.” Daenerys shares a look with Cassandra, Cassandra knew it was a possibility that it had spread this far, this isn't a surprise to her. “Corporal Vale and our men are doing what they can to help protect the people but they won't be able to hold out very long. You best get going. No time to waste.” Daenerys lets out a breath and nods in agreement.

“Thank you, Harding,” Daenerys tells the dwarf who inclines her head and then walks away. Daenerys turns to her companions. “So we have our tasks” Daenerys adds. “Let's start with Mother Giselle, then talk to Vale, then scout out in the direction of Dennet, if the fighting is too bad we may have to come up with an alternative plan” She lists off, Cassandra smiles a little and nods.


	15. Chapter Nine

Daenerys spins the staff in her hand, but she's not used to it, preferring to cast without one, so her movements aren't refined, her aim is off. A crate explodes with the spell and she shakes her head, disappointed in herself. Some mage she is. She can't even take out a few rebel mages. And if it wasn't for Varric and Solas fighting at her side she is pretty sure she'd be dead right about now. Cassandra blocks an arrow from a templar and shakes her head. Both sides of this war are now attacking the Crossroads, at the same time. These people never stood a chance. The templar is suddenly on fire and screaming. Cassandra turns to find Daenerys stood with her staff, they share a look and Cassandra nods her thanks and then takes to looking around, checking for more threats. None. That was it. She lowers her sword and shield and lets out a breath. The dust settling. The smell of magic and blood in the air. It will take time for the refugees to take stock of the fight and feel safe to wander around the Crossroads again. Possibly overnight. There is not much they can do right now. Daenerys looks down at the dead mage in front of her. She hates that this is what her world has come to. To slaughter each other because of the circumstances of birth, because of magic.

“Daenerys” Solas offers, she looks at him. “There was nothing to be done to stop this attack” he assures her, she nods a little. “You did what you had to protect those that could not fight back themselves”

“In my heart I know that” She assures him. “It still makes me so sad to see people, any people, hurt by this....there was no fighting like this in Orlais, not where I was. We were left alone....and in turn, we left them alone. There were even templars with us, we just wanted peace”

“How many of them were at the Conclave?” he asks her, she gives him a sad look.

“Too many” she answers, her voice breaking slightly. Her friends were at the Conclave with her. Her best friend was there. They're all dead. All of them.

“What now?” Varric asks as he shoulders his crossbow, his steps drawing him closer to them.

“We rest” Solas scolds seeing that Daenerys is almost dead on her feet. “And we start again in the morning” She looks at him and reluctantly nods. She is exhausted, and in pain, and hungry. She is no good to the people like this.

….............

In the small healers camp set up in the wake of the fight, the morning sun shining down on the injured where Mother Giselle is crouched at the side of an injured Inquisition soldier who is refusing to allow a mage to heal him, the soldier squirms on the cot and attempt to sit up, to leave.

“There are mages here who can heal your wounds. Lie still” She scolds him. Behind Mother Giselle, Daenerys steps closer to watch the scene unfold.

“Don't let them touch me, Mother. Their magic...” The soldier argues.

“Turned to noble purpose” Mother Giselle interrupts him. “Their magic is surely no more evil than your blade...”

“But...”

“Hush, dear boy. Allow them to ease your suffering” The soldier nods a little and lays back on the cot, Mother Giselle waves a mage healer over to them. Daenerys takes this chance to approach the Chantry mother.

“Mother Giselle?” Daenerys asks, Mother Giselle looks at her before standing, she wipes her hands on the skirt of her dress before she approaches the young mage.

“I am” She answers. “And you must be the one they're calling the Herald of Andraste”

“Is that why you asked for me?” Daenerys asks. “The Chantry has already....” Mother Giselle stops her with a small shake of her head.

“I know what they have done” Mother Giselle assures her softly.

“Then why am I here?” Daenerys counters, confused as to why a Chantry sister would want to talk to her after the Chantry had basically called her a heretic.

“I know of the Chantry's denouncement and I am familiar with those behind it” Mother Giselle admits. “I won't lie to you: some of them are grandstanding, hoping to increase their chances of becoming the new Divine. Some are simply terrified. So many good people, senselessly taken from us”

“But don't you stand with the rest of the Chantry?” Daenerys asks her as they walk together.

“With no Divine, we are each left to our own conscience – and mine tells me this. Go to them. Convince the remaining clerics you are no demon to be feared. They have heard only frightful tales of you. Give them something else to believe.” Daenerys takes a breath as she ponders that. Mother Giselle is not wrong. The Chantry has a big voice, and people will listen to them, telling stories of how blasphemous and dangerous and heretical she is, the Inquisition is, isn't going to help their cause, and will likely hinder their efforts in closing the Breach.

“You want me to appeal to them?” Daenerys states, Mother Giselle nods.

“If I thought you incapable, I wouldn't suggest it” She assures Daenerys.

“Will they even listen to me?” Daenerys whispers, her insecurities and self-consciousness seeping through slightly at the thought of the failing this task at hand. Mother Giselle turns to her, stopping where they stand, Daenerys joins her.

“Let me put it this way” Mother Giselle starts. “You needn't convince them all. You just need some of them to doubt. Their power is their unified voice. Take that from them and you will receive the time you need” Daenerys smirks a little.

“You make it sound so simple” She admits, Mother Giselle smiles back at her before turning serious again.

“I honestly don't know if you've been touched by fate or sent to help us....but I hope. Hope is what we need now. The people will listen to your rallying call, as they will listen to no other. You could build the Inquisition into a force that will deliver us....or destroy us” Mother Giselle seems thoughtful a moment before nodding, more to herself. “I will go to Haven and provide Sister Leliana the names of those in the Chantry who would be amenable to a gathering. It is not much, but I will do whatever I can”

“Thank you, Mother Giselle” Daenerys tells her warmly. “For your help, and for taking the time to talk with me” Mother Giselle inclines her head and then walks away. Daenerys takes a deep breath and steadies herself. “Okay,” she tells herself and looks around, planning her next move. Mother Giselle will do what she can but she is leaving these people behind, maybe Corporal Vale can help her, give her a way to help these people. And from what she has already seen, they need all the help they can get.

….............

Cassandra, Solas, and Varric are waiting for Daenerys as she approaches them, Cassandra rests her hand on her sword at her side as she turns to greet Daenerys.

“What would you have us do next?” Cassandra asks.

“Talk to the scouts and the soldiers already here” Daenerys answers as she tucks her hands into her jacket pockets. “They've been out there, they know better than us what is happening beyond the Crossroads. Gather as many details as you can that will help us, ask them if there is anything we can do to help...I am going to talk to Corporal Vale.”

“Would you like some company?” Solas asks, Daenerys nods and gives him a grateful smile.

“Thank you” She offers. “We will regroup in one hour at the camp on the hill” Varric and Cassandra both nod and then head off in opposite directions. Daenerys clenches her hands in her pockets before she and Solas head off in search of Vale.


	16. Chapter Ten

Vale was informative, clearly aware of everything going on at the Crossroads, talking with him was a smart move, and Daenerys learned her next steps in helping the refugees in becoming safe and healthy. Daenerys sits on a stool in the camp, her fingers wrapped around a rapidly cooling mug of herbal tea, it gets so cold in the Hinterlands on a night, already she can feel it settling into her bones and she has the armor she is wearing to keep her warm, supposedly warm anyway, she cannot imagine how cold the refugees must be in their thin clothing without blankets and tents to protect them from the weather of this harsh and untameable land. Daenerys' eyes rest on her pack where she knows the stuff that Jeremy had given her all rest. Tea. Heat stones. Blankets. Warm clothing. Weatherproof tents. Healing potions. Everything the refugees need. She raises an eyebrow, thoughtful, knowing that every soldier and scout was given the same supplies she was, meaning that there is more than enough to go around, but...how can she ask them to give up their own supplies? Harding approaches Daenerys and she nods respectfully at the young mage who stands from the stool she's been sat on.

“You asked for me?” Harding asks, Daenerys nods.

“I have an idea” Daenerys admits. “But I need your help”

“Anything, your worship” Harding assures her.

…...........

Harding stands with Daenerys as the sun sets in the sky above them, the camp is overflowing with scouts and soldiers now, talking amongst themselves, none of them know why they have been called here except that she wants to talk to them. Daenerys looks at Harding.

“These are all the scouts and soldiers?” Daenerys asks Harding who nods.

“Yes,” Harding answers. “I called them all in from across the Hinterlands, but I don't think they should linger here too long”

“Agreed,” Daenerys tells her. “I won't take more of their time than necessary” Harding nods and gives her a smile. Daenerys looks around those that are gathered there. Soldiers and scouts. She looks tiny surrounded by all of them. Varric clears his throat and she looks at him, he nods to the table behind her and smirks, understands a height constraint. Daenerys smiles a little and moves to the table, Solas holds out his hand to help her up onto it. Cassandra notices and shifts closer to the table.

“Quiet!” Cassandra orders and the scouts and soldiers all fall silent to look up at Daenerys. Cassandra looks up at her too. “Herald” she offers.

“Thank you, Cassandra,” Daenerys tells her and then looks out over those gathered. “I asked Harding to bring you all here because I need your help” Daenerys admits holding her hands behind her back, fingers lacing together. “The refugees of the Hinterlands have absolutely nothing, they are cold, and they are hungry, and they are wounded” She takes a breath. “What I am going to ask of you is not an order and you can refuse, this is a voluntary request” She assures them. “We need supplies for them, the packs that Jeremy gave to you all back in Haven before you left, the ones with the heat stones and the tea, I would like to give them to the refugees, and anything else you can spare....” she looks down a little and takes another breath before looking back at them. “I know it is a lot to ask of you all” Daenerys starts.

“It's not,” Harding tells her “They need it more....” she looks around the others who all nod in agreement. Harding turns back to Daenerys. “We will gather all the supplies that we have and begin sorting out boxes for the refugees”

“Thank you,” Daenerys tells them all warmly. “Send a bird back to Haven,” Daenerys tells Cassandra as Solas helps her off the table. “Replace the supplies we are taking, and make sure these scouts and soldiers are rewarded for their kindness and compassion” Cassandra nods in agreement. “We should also talk to Whittle about his missing supplies, more refugees will be coming in by the day and we need to make sure that everyone here is prepared for their arrival” Cassandra moves to walk away but Daenerys stops her. “And...make sure Jeremy knows that his idea is being utilized to help others” She adds. “And that credit should be given to him....” Cassandra looks at her softly.

“Of course” She assures the young woman before walking to the requisitions table set up. Daenerys takes a breath and moves to join Harding as she talks to her scouts. Varric and Solas watch Daenerys walk away from them. Varric hums a little and then looks up at Solas.

“She knows what she is doing” Varric comments with a smirk. “Fallen straight into the role”

“Do you think she's hiding something?” Solas asks, Varric shrugs.

“Perhaps” He admits. “She's too good at this” Solas laughs a little and looks down at him.

“She's too good at being nice?” Solas asks him.

“No, she's too good at being diplomatic” Varric counters. “The sort of training that comes from being raised a noble, but she's a mage, there is no way she would have had that training in the circle”

“So maybe she really is just a naturally kind young woman, kindness and compassion is not rare among mages, mages that have only had each other to look after one another, mages that rely on the kindness of their fellow mages to survive, she is just sharing that kindness with everyone that needs it”


	17. Chapter Eleven

Mother Giselle lets Daenerys use her cabin for the supply crates. Stacked up all across the cabin, bags of supplies, bottles of cleaned water, potions, herbs, cots, blankets, and clothing. The scouts and soldiers were more than generous with what they have given up for these people. Daenerys will make sure that each and every single one of them is rewarded for it, because they did not have to do it. Daenerys smiles warmly at a woman and her young daughter that approaches the table set up outside of the cabin where Varric sits with a pile of parchments ready to make notes and recommendations. Cassandra and a couple of Inquisition soldiers stand ready to help, whilst trying to keep the refugees calm and in an orderly line. Solas is bringing a couple of crates out of the cabin to set up ready for the refugees already waiting for supplies.

“Name?” Varric asks the young woman at the table.

“Yvonne Horvath” She answers as she clutches her daughter to her side.

“Where are you from, Yvonne?” Daenerys asks her, the woman takes a breath and looks at her.

“My father was a farmer on the Bannorn, our farm was destroyed during the Blight, and then when the fighting started again, the templars came and they stole what crops we had managed to rebuild, and then they killed my father....my husband and I....we fled with Alvira” She looks at her daughter. “We came here thinking that help would be waiting” she starts to cry. “But we were attacked by the mages...our supplies were stolen, my husband was injured...”

“Help is here now” Daenerys assures her. “We are going to help all of you, okay?” Yvonne nods.

“Please, my husband” Yvonne starts. Daenerys touches her arm and gives her a sad smile before she turns to Solas as he picks up a crate from his feet. He hands it to Daenerys and she passes it to the young mother who sets her daughter down to take the crate.

“There are blankets in there and warm clothing, heat stones, herbal tea, and a weatherproof tent, along with some dried food and herbs” Daenerys crouches and touches the girl's cheek with a small smile. “We will get you some warmer clothing for your daughter” She assures them both as she stands. Behind her, Varric makes a not on a piece of parchment. “And I promise you will that we find a healer for your husband”

“Thank you,” The woman tells her, tears gathering in her eyes because it has been 6 months and this young woman is the first to sound like she really is going to help them. “Thank you so much” She walks away with her daughter who smiles and waves at Daenerys, Daenerys smiles and waves back at her. Daenerys straightens her armor jacket and takes a deep breath, trying to control her upset and anger at this situation.

“How many is that?” Daenerys asks, Varric looks at her.

“14 families” He answers and then eyes up the line. “And counting” Daenerys closes her eyes and shakes her head.

“Where were their Banns?” she asks. “Their lords? Why aren't they helping their people? This is their responsibility”

“That is a very good question” Solas agrees. Daenerys is going to be having words with Alistair about this. This is not okay. These are his people too, he should have been helping them, he should have been making sure that the Banns and Lords were helping. “But you are helping them now” Solas offers. “They will remember this” Daenerys nods a little and glances to the line, she nods to Cassandra who directs the next family towards her. This is going to take all day.

…..........

Varric and Daenerys go through the notes he made during the day with the refugees, the crates that had been full of supplies are now empty behind them. She rubs at her head and then her eyes, their swimming from all the math she's just had to do, calculations and rationing of supplies, but it's not enough, it will never be enough.

“There's not enough” She complains, Varric looks to her sadly. They'd run out of supplies before they could get to all the refugees.

“We'll figure it out” Varric assures her. “We'll find enough to go around” he touches her arm knowing she is getting upset. “Daenerys” she looks at him. “You can't do it all in one day, kiddo” He points out with a small smile. “Pace yourself”

“These people don't have forever to wait for our help, Varric” she counters. “The injured won't last a week without a healer...the cold, the starvation...the fight...”

“And if you don't slow down” He warns standing from his seat and moving to a box on the side, he grabs a wrapped pack and a waterskin before returning to her. “You will make yourself sick, and then who are you helping, huh, kid?” he holds out the items to her. “Eat, drink, sleep” she searches his eyes before taking them from him and standing from her own seat.

“Thank you” she whispers to him before she walks away and out of the cabin. Varric rubs his eyes as he takes his seat again and then looks over the parchment pile. She's right. They have no supplies, and these people will not last long without them.

….........

Josephine stands at the war table with Cullen and Leliana, each of them going through their morning reports and letters. Calls for help, supplies, protection, but they don't have the numbers or the coin or the supplies to help them all, much to their disappointment. More and more come in every day. Cullen sighs and sets down the letter in his hand onto a pile of other letters.

“This one is from Cassandra” Josephine admits holding up a letter in her hand, Cullen and Leliana turn to her. “Daenerys is refusing to leave the Hinterlands until she is sure that the refugees are going to survive” Josephine reads from the parchment in her hand.

“Mother Giselle arrived this morning,” Leliana admits. “She's already given me the list of names she promised to Daenerys and I have half of my letters ready to send. I'm just waiting on the Herald's return”

“Send them anyway” Cullen argues. “It's going to take time for them to respond, and for Daenerys and the others to return, postponing anything will just waste time”

“Cullen is right” Josephine agrees. “Put everything in place so that when Daenerys returns, everything is ready” Leliana nods.

“I will send the letters out as soon as they are ready” Leliana offers as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Let us hope we get support soon, with the supplies we had to send to the Crossroads, we're running low here”

“We'll figure something out” Josephine assures her. “Pull together” Josephine looks at Cullen. “Is that not what Fereldens do?”

“It is what we should do” Cullen answers. “I don't understand where the Banns and Lords are in this” he complains. “Their people are suffering and they are doing nothing”

“I know it's frustrating, Cullen,” Josephine tells him. “But if they're not going to help, then we will, that's why we are here, isn't it? Because we want to help” Cullen gives her a small smile and nods in agreement.


	18. Chapter Twelve

Cullen counts the number of food parcels that they have left within the supply cabin, it is surprisingly empty, when Leliana said they were running low he didn't think it was to this extent. He sighs and moves onto the crate of blankets, again, there are not many left. Not enough to go around if they get more than a handful of refugees joining them at Haven, and given the reports that have come in from the Hinterlands there are more and more refugees leaving the Crossroads and heading this way.

“What are you doing?” Cullen jumps a little and turns to find Leliana behind him, she raises an eyebrow at him.

“I was...checking the supplies” Cullen admits. “Seeing if I might be able to figure something out” he rubs the back of his neck and shrugs a little. “I didn't realize how low on supplies we were”

“We're not the Wardens” Leliana states. “We can't demand supplies or manpower....”

“If we were running this low, then why did you send carts full to the Crossroads?” Cullen asks her, Leliana lets out a breath.

“Daenerys has to prove that she is there to help, they need to see that she gets things done, they need supplies, she gets them, they see her as a figure that is doing something, doing more than everyone else...it was a strategic move” Leliana admits as they walk together, leaving the supply cabin behind them. “And we'll manage, somehow” She adds. “If we can get some of the soldiers trained with bows they can go out into the trees and hunt for meat, there are nugs, rams, and druffalos out there, there is plenty of elfroot around for potions, we just need to buckle down and work together” he nods in agreement.

“I'll add archery into my drills starting tomorrow” Cullen offers.

“And I'll talk to Adan and the healers, they may be willing to go out and pick elfroot themselves” Cullen nods a little.

“Just hope that Daenerys is having better luck than we” He comments, Leliana looks at him.

“All reports claim she is doing all she can with the provisions she has, she's making progress” Leliana reassures him. “The people of the Hinterlands already like her, respect her, look to her, this is a good start”

….....................

Cassandra approaches Daenerys in the healer's tent, it's silent, almost, only the soft snores and breathing noises come from the patients here, Daenerys sits at the side of Yvonne's husband's bed. They had done everything else the Crossroads needed except finding a healer. He sleeps now, after allowing her to read to him and his daughter who sleeps in her own cot at the far side of the room, curled up in her mother's arms.

“We need to think about going back,” Cassandra tells her. “I know you wanted to make sure everyone was provided for, Daenerys” Daenerys lets out a breath and nods.

“Perhaps there is something we can do” Daenerys argues and turns to face Cassandra. “There are healers in Haven” Cassandra nods in agreement. “If we were to find Dennet and gain even a couple of horses, then we could maybe fashion or find a carriage or cart....we can travel back to Haven with Yvonne, her husband, and their daughter, and make sure that he is seen to, he is the worst affected here and he will not last much longer unless we do something.....I promised her I'd help him” Cassandra pulls a chair closer so she can sit beside Daenerys.

“I know you did” Cassandra agrees. “But you can't save everyone in this war” she whispers touching Daenerys' arm.

“But I can save him” Daenerys counters as she looks down at the husband. “I wish I had studied more healing magic at the circle” she whispers sadly. “Maybe then I could actually help them” Cassandra knows she is still young, and that statement proves it still, she is trying her best, and she is saving those she can, but people are still going to die around her, this is still war. Cassandra takes a breath and nods.

“Alright” Daenerys looks at her. “We will go looking for Dennet, we will find horses and we will find a carriage” Daenerys' eyes soften staring at Cassandra. “If that is what it takes for you to return to Haven, then that is what we will do” Cassandra assures her.

…...............

Days Later:

Cassandra pulls on a cloak as she walks through the Crossroads heading to where the majority of the activity is taking place. The whole place is abuzz with chatter and praise, something good is happening. Children are laughing and running around for the first time since the war broke out, women are talking to one another, men are joking with one another, it's normality, the most normal these people have had in years. Friendships are being forged, they have had several new recruits from those here, already wanting to get stuck in and started, doing something for the people that have given them everything. Cassandra smiles a little, this is all Daenerys, the young woman with more strength then her small stature would have people believe. The young woman with fire in her veins, and more than just magical fire, there is a fire inside of her, a determination, a drive to do good, and to help people. She is just who they need and the Maker sent her to them when they needed her the most, Cassandra believes in divine intervention, now more than ever, because of Daenerys.

“Are you ready to go?” Cassandra asks Daenerys who watches the soldiers hand out the supplies they've received from Haven, behind her, scouts and soldiers help Yvonne and her family into a carriage, they had managed to find an abandoned one on the road, luckily in good condition, clearly abandoned at some point, Daenerys tries not to think about what happened to the original owners of it. Dennet attaches the carriage to one of his horse, stocky and well built, perfect for hauling the construct. He hadn't been easy to get to, fighting through Templars, mages, bandits, and wolves, and then more wolves and the promise of watchtowers. Daenerys is exhausted, deep in her bones exhausted, she's worked hard to get to this point, to fight, to get horse, to get supplies, to be ready for the trip back to Haven maybe there she will be able to sleep, but she knows it isn't anything to do with the location that has her lying awake at night. She lets out a breath and then nods before turning to Cassandra.

“I'm ready” Daenerys assures her.

“You've done all you can for these people” Cassandra assures her. “They will survive the coming nights”

“Yes” Daenerys agrees, there is a weight lifted from her chest knowing that these people will at least be alright. That she has done one good thing. Cassandra touches her arm and Daenerys looks at her.

“I am sorry I pushed you to leave” Cassandra admits. “What you've done here....” Cassandra smiles softly. “I'm proud of you, Daenerys” Daenerys eyes widen slightly at the admission. Cassandra doesn't seem the type to just give out praise. “You're proving to be just what we need”

“Thank you” Daenerys whispers softly. She's worked hard, pushed herself and her magic harder than ever before. And it is now starting to heed results.


	19. Chapter Thirteen

It is dark when Daenerys and her group return to Haven, the carriage with Yvonne and her family being taken care of by healers and soldiers. It had been touch and go the whole ride back. Solas only just managing to keep the husband alive, thankfully there are skilled healers in the small village and Daenerys knows that now they are here it is going to be fine. Yvonne hugs Daenerys tightly, grateful, Daenerys rubs her back and pulls back with a smile.

“Thank you,” Yvonne tells her warmly before picking up her daughter. Yvonne starts to cry, relief flooding her. “Thank you all” She adds looking to the others gathered, Varric smiles and nods. They all feel a little better, just saving one person, just by doing this one good deed makes all the difference to their hope. They are all starting to see that they could actually do this. Because of Daenerys.

“My lady herald” An elven serving girl states behind Daenerys and Daenerys turns to her with a smile. “Is there anything you need?” Daenerys appears thoughtful before nodding.

“A bath would be very much appreciated” she tugs at her clothing, she is aware she probably smells, she hasn't had a bath since she left Haven nearly a month ago, and whilst washing in the rivers and with buckets has helped it's not been a proper bath with warm water and soaps.

“I will have it prepared right away”

“Who is that?” Daenerys asks Cassandra who watches the elf walk away.

“Venaya” Cassandra answers. “She was assigned as your lady's maid before we left, but we did leave in rather a hurry you must not have been introduced. She was part of the same envoy as Jeremy, many of the serving staff that lost their employers stayed to help after the explosion....” Daenerys nods a little. So many people have been displaced by the Breach, more than just the people who died up there in that temple, but those that relied on them, staff, soldiers, families.

…..........

Venaya sets a handful of heating stones into the bathtub that has been set up within Daenerys' cabin. Daenerys leans her staff against the wall before she moves to where there is a collection of jars and bottles set up on the dresser. They are bottles of oils for the bath. Venaya pulls back and closes the pouch on the heating stones.

“It will need to cool a moment, my lady” Venaya tells Daenerys.

“Thank you, Venaya,” Daenerys tells her as she looks through the bottles, reading the ingredients and flavors of the liquids within.

“Is there anything else?” Venaya asks, Daenerys glances at her.

“Some bread, if there is any left, maybe some cheese and wine...” Venaya nods and turns to leave the cabin. Daenerys picks up a bottle and pulls out the cork to smell it. Crystal Grace and elfroot. A combination meant to soothe aches and pains and just what she needs. She pours the oil into the bath and then sets the bottle back on the side before she begins to undress, it takes a little time for the armor to come off. Layers of it. Venaya returns just as Daenerys starts to climb into the bathtub, the elf becomes alarmed and set the plate and goblet in her hand on the dresser before moving closer to the tub.

“It's too hot, my Lady” Venaya warns as Daenerys lowers herself into the water, she doesn't seem to react to the heat of the liquid, and it is absolutely scorching. “Herald?” Venaya asks her, Daenerys glances at her.

“I'm fine, Venaya” She assures the girl and then motions to the wine and food. Venaya picks them up and approaches Daenerys who shakes her had. “It's for you” Daenerys offers, Venaya looks surprised by this. “Have you eaten today?” Venaya shakes her head.

“No, I gave my food to my sister” She admits quietly. “I was going to just take whatever was left in the tavern”

“Then stay, eat...drink,” Daenerys tells her motioning to the food and the wine. Venaya glances to her hands and then to Daenerys.

“What about you?” Venaya asks her.

“I am capable of bathing myself” Daenerys points out with a small smile. “And I am not that hungry” she assures the young elf. “It's okay,” Daenerys tells her with a nod.

…..................

Daenerys takes a breath and touches the fabric of the dress in her hand, it will be weird going back to this after she's worn her armor for so long. She runs her fingers down the seam and tilts her head a little. Venaya pauses behind her and watches Daenerys a moment and then glances at the dress in her hand.

“You don't like it?” Venaya asks Daenerys who hums a little and then shakes her head.

“No, I do” Daenerys assures her, Venaya relaxes slightly, Daenerys raises her eyebrow in question at her stance. “Venaya” Daenerys then starts and steps closer to her with the dress in her hand. “Did you make this?”

“No” Venaya answers. “But my mother did”

“The stitch work is beautiful,” Daenerys tells her. “Was she a seamstress?”

“No” Venaya answers. “She just made mine and my sister's clothing as we grew up, and mended those of the Bann and his wife when need be”

“Is she still around?” Venaya nods. “Do you think she could make me a matching cloak?” Venaya chuckles and nods.

“I am sure she would” Venaya assures her. “I have your breakfast” she adds holding out the plate in her hand. “And Lady Montilyet would like for you to join her in the Chantry when you are ready” Daenerys sets the dress onto the bed and takes the food from Venaya.

“Tell me about your family,” Daenerys tells her as she sits on the bed.

“I...” Venaya starts and then nods, steeling herself. “My mother was born in Denerim, in the alienage” She admits. “My father was Dalish, and they met when his caravan traded with some of the city elves. They were teenagers that fell in love. Ran away together. She got pregnant, and they needed money, my mother asked around and eventually, the Bann's wife came to her, asked if she would be interested in becoming one of her lady's maids. She accepted. My brother was then born, and then me, and then my sister. The Bann and his family were always very kind to us, the soldiers as well, my mother knew how humans could be around elves, she'd seen it enough at the alienage. She told us, still does, that we've been very lucky with our experiences with other races. The people here, the humans, are very kind” Venaya offers. Daenerys smiles softly at her. “I am very grateful that they found me this position”


	20. Chapter Fourteen

Daenerys and Josephine stand side by side in the war room, the advisors and Cassandra are all gathered together for this moment, Josephine has already told Daenerys what she wants to discuss and it's a big moment. A huge moment. The two women share a look, the ambassador nods and takes a breath as she steps closer to the war table. It is time. The truth is about to come out. Daenerys holds her hands behind her back, fingers clutching to one another. Cassandra sets a collection of scrolls onto the war table for Cullen to take, pages about the new recruits that arrived with them the night before. Many of them farm boys, blacksmith apprentices, and those only just old enough to join up. Josephine clears her throat and they all look at her and then glance at Daenerys as she moves closer to the table.

“Herald?” Cassandra asks, Daenerys and Josephine share another look, Daenerys nods and takes a breath.

“You remember that I spoke of a possible alliance” Josephine reminds them. “Well, that alliance...is because of Daenerys bloodline, I didn't want to say in case this....didn't work out but...” Josephine takes a steadying breath. “Daenerys is...Daenerys Stormborn” Josephine offers. “She's....”

“She's...Maric Theirin's daughter” Leliana finishes for Josephine though there is no surprise to her tone, as if she already knew.

“I thought all mages gave up their titles when they enter the circle” Cassandra queries as she looks at Daenerys.

“Normally” Cullen agrees under his breath, Daenerys looks at him, the two of them sharing something. Both of them spent time within the circle, both of them saw both sides of this war, both of them have their own scars from it.

“There are some....circumstance in which the mage is allowed to keep their titles” Leliana offers remembering the conversation she and Roshelle had in regards to Alistair's sister many years ago, how Daenerys was a mage that kept all her titles, though she would not have access to land and funds available to her unless she actually took the throne, she was a princess trapped by magic in a tower that would treat her like any other mage. Leliana just hadn't put two and two together when she first saw Daenerys, there aren't many that share her appearance, or those that share looks with Alistair, the white-blonde hair, the eyes, the jawline, it's Theirin.

“In fact...I only know of one” Josephine nods to Daenerys. “By order of King Maric and Empress Celene”

“Why?” Cassandra asks.

“It was written into the law of Ferelden a year before Maric's disappearance” Leliana explains. “Empress Celene eventually agreed to it and added it to Orlesian law during Cailan's rule”

“Why would Maric do that?” Cullen asks.

“Presumably because in the case that anything happened to Cailan, Alistair would take the throne, but now Alistair is a Grey Warden, as is his wife, which means that...” Leliana answers.

“There will be no heir” Cassandra finishes. “Meaning they needed one to be ready, and she is the first heir to a throne that has presented as a mage. But Alistair wasn't a Warden during Maric's reign”

“But he was promised to the Chantry” Leliana adds. “Maric knew Alistair would likely become a brother or a Templar”

“As was Prince Sebastian” Josephine reminds her. “And yet he has returned to Starkhaven to fight for his throne” Daenerys raises an eyebrow, Josephine glances at her. “It's a very complicated situation, he's been trying to get back on his throne for about 4 years now, they're...stalling” She explains, Daenerys nods a little.

“But it had never happened before” Leliana counters. “No one knew it could happen....things had to be put into place”

“But a mage” Cassandra comments, Daenerys sighs and shares a look with Cullen, he shrugs a little at her. She's standing there and they are talking about her as if she weren't.

“Word is changing, Cassandra” Leliana scolds. “Maric may have written this in as a contingency, perhaps before he even knew she was a mage”

“I was eight when my magic announced itself, Maric disappeared the following year” Daenerys admits.

“So he knew” Leliana states. “And yet still allowed for her to remain a princess.....Maric perhaps saw the change coming”

“Is it though?” Cassandra asks. “Do you really think the people will stand behind a mage princess?”

“There are already people standing behind a mage as the Herald of Andraste, it is not that far a leap up” Leliana points out.

“Alistair may view this as provocation” Cassandra argues. “That this could be her using the Inquisition as a means to take the throne from under him”

“Alistair is a reasonable man” Leliana counters fondly. “And...I know that he did want a relationship with his sister”

“We have a sort of relationship” Daenerys corrects her. “He sent me letters, and books, and a horse, it's not as if we are strangers”

“Luckily the Herald already wrote to him” Josephine admits. They all look at her. “When Daenerys told me about her heritage, we agreed that Alistair should be contacted by her....” Josephine holds up a letter. “He replied...” she holds out the letter to Daenerys who takes it and unrolls it.

“He wishes to meet at the Crossroads to talk it through in person as well as aid the refugees” She reads. “He is bringing as many supplies as he and his men can carry”

“It's about time nobility stepped up” Cullen scolds. “This war has been going on for years now” He looks at Daenerys. “If it was not for you then he would not be aiding them now”

“You cannot know that” She argues. “Alistair **is** a good man, I believe he would have helped eventually. The Breach is scaring people, making them hesitate, it's not his fault, his people will be looking to him for answers, and he has none to give them. No one does. He has agreed to help now, that is all that matters....” She adds, Cullen nods, agreeing.

“It will take time for Alistair to mobilize” Cassandra points out. “Take this time to go to Val Royeux and talk to the clerics”

“What?” Cullen asks her, surprised by this idea.

“Having the Herald address the clerics is not a terrible idea” Josephine agrees with Cassandra.

“You can't be serious” Cullen comments.

“Mother Giselle isn't wrong” Josephine points out. “At the moment, the Chantry's only strength is that they are united in opinion”

“And we should ignore the danger to the Herald?” Leliana asks her.

“Let's ask her” Josephine offers and turns to Daenerys, all eyes on her, Daenerys takes a breath.

“What can they do?” She asks. “It's just talk”

“Do not underestimate the power of their words” Leliana warns her. “An angry mob will do you in just as quick as a blade”

“I will go with her” Cassandra assures them. Daenerys and Cassandra share a look, Daenerys gives her a grateful nod and lets out a breath.


	21. Chapter Fifteen

Cullen watches as Daenerys stares up at the statue of Andraste, he still can't help but see the resemblance between the two women. Daenerys sighs and then walks away shaking her head. Cullen frowns a little and goes to follow her, to talk to her but a voice behind him stops him.

“Cullen” Cassandra states to get his attention, he frowns and looks to her, she nods into Josephine's office and he follows her. He glances at Daenerys as she slips through the Chantry doors and into Haven. He lets out a breath and follows Cassandra into the office where Leliana and Josephine are waiting for them.

“What is this about?” Josephine asks as she sits at her desk.

“Daenerys” Cassandra answers and then takes a deep breath. “She cannot fight” Cassandra points out with a sigh. “Her staff skills are lacking, and her magic is wild and unpredictable...”

“She did say her studies were more in magical lore and knowledge and not practicality” Josephine reminds them.

“I have already spoken with Solas, and he is willing to guide her in using a staff but until she is capable of defending herself she is a liability out there”

“What do you suggest?” Cullen asks her.

“We need to assign a Templar to her” Cassandra admits.

“Daenerys hasn't really spoken either way” Josephine offers. “Are you sure she would be happy with that?”

“It's not a matter of her being happy about it” Leliana states. “She is the Herald of Andraste and the heir of the Iron Throne, she must be protected even if that is from herself” Cassandra turns to Cullen.

“Can you assess the Templars in the ranks, pick out a suitable one?” She asks, Cullen nods a little.

“I can do that...” He assures her. “By the time she returns from Val Royeux, I will have found someone” He adds and takes a breath.

….............

Cullen approaches where Daenerys is stood watching his troops train, she's stood up tall, her arms wrapped around herself, because she is wearing a dress and it is freezing.

“Where is your cloak?” he asks her, she glances at him.

“Awaiting for it to be made” she answers. “It is fine, I am using my magic to warm myself” He raises an eyebrow.

“You can do that?” he asks her, she hums and nods.

“It is a nuisance and requires constant concentration but...it is only for a short while” she answers and then turns to him. “What are your numbers?” she asks him.

“156 foot soldiers” He answers, instantly, knowing just what she was asking of him.

“How many are fully trained?” she counters, he shrugs a little.

“I...” he sighs. “Less than half” he admits. “But they are trying”

“I do not question that” she assures him. “I have watched them train, they are trying very hard to impress you”

“It is not me they are trying to impress” Cullen counters, Daenerys blushes slightly at the implications. “I heard about what you did for those at the Crossroads, we all did”

“I tried my best,” she tells him.

“I do not question that” he repeats her phrase back at her, she chuckles a little and looks away. “They are trying harder, because they finally have hope, hope that things can get better, because **you** went out there and did something” She glances at him. “....and they believe **you** can change everything for them, give them a chance at getting normality back, they have hope because of **you**, Daenerys Stormborn” she looks down. “I'm sorry, that...you probably don't need more pressure placed on your shoulders, and hearing that...” he rubs the back of his neck and sighs.

“No” she stops him. “I want to help them” she admits. “I want to help all of them, I just worry I am not enough”

“You've already proven you are” he argues. She takes a breath and looks back at the troops, Cullen moves to her side to join her. They both just watch them train. Side by side it makes Daenerys seem smaller, Cullen towers over her, all broad and strong and Daenerys is delicate and dainty.

“We need an army” She points out. “The numbers we have are not significant enough for us to make a real difference, they're spread too thin”

“People outside of the Hinterlands are still wary of us and our intentions” Cullen offers. “Recruitment is slow”

“There has to be some option we haven't thought of yet” she argues. “We need numbers....” she hums a little and then heads towards his men, Cullen frowns and then follows her.

“Herald” he states trying to get her attention.

“Do you know there is power in storytelling and rumors?” she asks him. “Even the smallest tale could yield results” she clears her throat and the soldiers turn to her, as if they didn't know she was already there. “I admit that I need your help” she admits. “With the limited resources and connections the Inquisition currently has, what would you suggest would be the best course of action for gaining an increase of military strength? Capable fighters?” The soldiers share a look before one steps forward.

“Your worship” he starts, he nods, encouraging him to continue. “The Unsullied” he offers.

“Unsullied?” she asks him, he nods.

“Eunuch slave soldiers of Tevinter,” He tells her.

“Egger is right.” Another soldier states, older than the first, he's seen his fair share of battles and war. “I have been to Minrathous and seen the Unsullied first-hand. They are very impressive on the battlefield. Some say the Unsullied are the greatest soldiers in the world”

“The greatest slave soldiers in the world” She argues with a hard look. “Distinction means a good deal to some people”

“And would need to be bought” Cullen admits. “And we don't have the coin for that” Daenerys shoots him a look.

“Slave soldiers” she reminds him.

“I heard” he assures her. “And I understand. But these are desperate times and you said it yourself, we need the numbers” She takes a deep breath and shakes her head.

“No, we can come up with another solution, we are not Tevinter, and we will not lower the Inquisition to slavery” She and Cullen share a look, something shifting in his eyes, of course a mage would see the world that way, he knows that some mages consider their lives not that different to slaves. “I am Andraste's Herald” She reminds Cullen. “How do you think she would feel about her Herald promoting and encouraging slavery?”

…..........

Cassandra decides that leaving for Val Royeux is best done sooner rather than later, and with the horses Dennet gifted them, it will take significantly less time for them to travel there and back though it is still looking to be at least 10 days. Daenerys strokes the face of her horse, he's beautiful but it just reminds her of the one Alistair gave her, no other horse will be as beautiful as the Silver. Daenerys' armor is ready this time, and it fits her perfectly. A mix of chain-mail, fur, and leather. Comfortable enough to ride and strong enough to protect her, and a holster on her back for her staff. Harrit has outdone himself.

“Are you ready to go?” Varric asks as he reaches her side. Daenerys hums a little and nods.

“Yes,” she then answers looking at him. “Eager to get on with it” She admits. “Talking with Chantry sisters is not going to help” she whispers. “I should be back at the Hinterlands”

“You did everything you could” Varric offers. “We need outside help, we need supplies....then we can do more” she takes a breath, understands that he is right, they need to talk to those in a position of power to gain what they need to help those that are suffering. She just hates the idea that she can't physically be doing something to help.


	22. Chapter Sixteen

It takes a week of horseback travel to get to Val Royeaux. 7 days of punishing terrain and weather. But they make it. Exhausted and weary but present. Daenerys gives the stable boy a small thankful smile as he takes the reins from her and leads her horse away. It had been decided that Daenerys should go for a softer look to talk with the Chantry sisters. So her armour has been changed for a subtle pink dress that hangs from her body. Her hair has been left loose in wavy curls. All to add to an innocent appeal. Solas moves to her side and offers her his arm, she slips her hand into the crook of his elbow and takes a deep breath. She understands the need to appear small. The Chantry currently think her a threat, so take away everything that makes her look like a threat. Solas then holds out a small pale pink lace glove for her marked hand, to cover the thing that's going to help them save the world. Daenerys pulls on the glove and flexes her fingers a little before they head towards the city.

…...........

Varric walks at the edge of the small group as they cross the bridge into the city. It appears almost abandoned. The streets empty and quiet when they are usually filled to bursting point. There is none of that now. Cassandra notes Daenerys' gaze.

“The city still mourns” Cassandra explains for the younger girl who then nods. That is understandable. No one loved the Divine like Val Royeaux did. A pair of nobles, a married couple, walk onto the bridge, their eyes instantly are drawn to Daenerys and her companions. The woman gasps and clutches to her husband's arm. The two of them hurrying away.

“Just a guess, Seeker, but I think they all know who we are” Varric comments.

“Your skills of observation never fail to impress me, Varric” Cassandra counters sarcastically as they pass through the city gates, just as they do, an Inquisition scout rushes towards them.

“My lady Herald” The scout greets and then kneels, a clasped hand to her chest.

“You're one of Leliana's people. What have you found?” Cassandra points out stepping closer to the scout

“The Chantry mothers await you” The scout informs them. “But...so do a great number of Templars” Daenerys looks at Cassandra who appears just as surprised at the news of the Templars being here.

“There are Templars here?” Cassandra asks.

“People seem to think that the Templars will protect them from.....” She pauses slightly and glances at Daenerys. “From the Inquisition” She settles on. “They are gathering on the other side of the market. I think that's where the Templars intend to meet you” The scout then stands. Daenerys takes a deep breath and nods.

“Only one thing to do, then” She offers, Cassandra, Varric, and Solas look at her, but there is something more fierce in her face now. They are possibly about to see how Daenerys feels about Templars.

“They wish to protect the people? From us?” Cassandra asks, outraged at the Templars for this move.

“You think the order's returned to the fold, maybe?” Varric adds. “To deal with us upstarts?”

“Return to Haven,” Cassandra tells the scout. “Someone will need to inform them if we are.....Delayed” The scout nods.

“As you say, my lady” She assures them and then hurries away. Daenerys glares at her outfit now. It seems that she might actually need her armour after all.

“They won't try anything in the city” Cassandra offers. “Too many civilians that they are trying to win over...” Daenerys nods a little. That she can understand.

“Whilst we are here, do you think we could make a stop?” Daenerys asks Cassandra who raises an eyebrow in question. “The White Spire” Daenerys answers the unasked question in Cassandra's eyes. “I would like to see what the damage is, and to see if anything can be salvaged. It was my home for many years and I had to leave a lot of my personal items behind when we fled”

“Of course” Cassandra assures her. “We can certainly take a look”

….....

Daenerys, Cassandra, Solas, and Varric weave their way through the huge crowd gathered in the market square of Val Royeaux. This is why the streets appeared so empty, they are all here, gathered together.

“Good people of Val Royeaux, hear me!” The chantry mother is announcing to the crowd gathered. A Templar at her side. A Templar Daenerys recognises.

“Barris” She whispers to herself as she weaves through the crowd. Cassandra, Solas, and Varric right behind her.

“Together we mourn our Divine. Her naïve and beautiful heart silenced by treachery” The mother continues. “You wonder what will become of her murderer. Well, wonder no more!” The mother points at Daenerys as she bursts through the crowd, all eyes now on her. Barris' own eyes widening seeing her. Cassandra and Solas are instantly at Daenerys' side, ready to take up a defensive stance if need be. “Behold the so-called Herald of Andraste. Claiming to rise where our beloved fell. We say this is a false prophet. The Maker would send no mage in our hour of need!” Daenerys takes a deep breath and steps forward, Cassandra and Solas stepping with her.

“We came here in peace” Daenerys points out. “Simple to talk....” She glances at the Templars. “And this is what you do? I implore you; let us sit down together, to deal with the real threat” Cassandra looks at Daenerys and nods, proud of her.

“It's true” Cassandra adds. “The Inquisition seeks only to end this madness before it is too late”

“It is already too late” The chantry mother warns and motions to her side as more Templars step up onto the little stage she has set up. “The Templars have returned to the Chantry. They will face this 'Inquisition', and the people will be safe once more” The Templars pass her by though, one even punches her in the back of the head, sending her to the ground. Daenerys frowns a little and looks to Cassandra who shares her shock. The main Templar, the head Templar, moves to Barris who is as disturbed by this change of events.

“Still yourself” Barris is told. “She is beneath us” Barris looks at Daenerys, the two of them sharing a look, he looks away from her first. Daenerys turns her attention to the other Templars.

“You're not here to deal with the Inquisition?” She enquires.

“As if there were any reason to,” He tells her back.

“Lord Seeker Lucius” Cassandra starts as he walks away, she follows after him. “It's imperative that we speak with...”

“You will not address me” Lucius interrupts Cassandra.

“Lord Seeker?” Cassandra asks, confused to his cold tone.

“Creating a heretical movement, raising up a puppet as Andraste's prophet. You should be ashamed” Lucius scolds Cassandra. “You should all be ashamed. The Templars failed no one when they left the Chantry to purge the mages” His eyes are on Daenerys and Solas as he talks. “You are the one who have failed. You who'd leash out righteous swords with doubt and fear. If you came to appeal to the Chantry, you are too late. The only destiny here that demands respect....is mine” He warns them, Daenerys raises an eyebrow slightly and tilts her head with her confusion before she shakes it off and steps forward.

“What we truly need is an alliance that will seal the Breach” Daenerys points out firmly.

“Oh, the Breach is indeed a threat” Lucius agrees. “But you certainly have no power to do anything about it” Barris moves to the Lord Seeker.

“But Lord Seeker” Barris starts. “What is she really was sent by the Maker? What if...?” Another Templar steps up to him and answers instead of the Lord Seeker.

“You are called to a higher purpose. Do not question” He warns Barris before walking away.

“I will make the Templar order a power that stands alone against the void. We deserve recognition. Independence.” Lucius adds and then turns to face Daenerys. “You have shown me nothing. And the Inquisition.....less than nothing. Templars! Val Royeaux is unworthy of our protection. We march” He then turns and leaves with the Templars. Barris hesitates and looks at Daenerys.

“Barris” She states and steps towards him, he shakes his head and then follows the Lord Seeker. Cassandra touches Daenerys' arm and she looks at the Seeker.

“You know him?”

“He was the Templar assigned to me in the Spire” Daenerys admits. “We got separated at the beginning of the troubles, I thought he was dead” She looks at Cassandra.

“Charming fellow, isn't he?” Varric asks as he walks towards the three of them.

“Has Lord Seeker Lucius gone mad?” Cassandra counters.

“Do you know him very well?” Daenerys enquires as she pulls off her glove. No point in hiding her hand any more.

“He took over the Seekers of Truth two years ago, after Lord Seeker Lambert's death. He was always a decent man, never given to ambition or grandstanding. This is very bizarre”

“Do you think he can be reasoned with?” Daenerys continues.

“I hope so” Cassandra admits. “If not him, there are surely others in the Order who don't feel as he does. Either way, we should first write to Haven and inform the others...” Daenerys nods in agreement.

“And then make our way to the Hinterlands” Daenerys adds. “Alistair will be arriving in the next week.....”


	23. Chapter Seventeen

Daenerys sits in the corner of the Le Masque du Lion Café, part of the Summer Bazar in Val Royeux, she is waiting on her companions and writing a letter to Barris. She thought hearing from her might be preferable than some unknown organisation. She lets out a breath as she pleads with him to see sense. She knows he takes his duties seriously, and the order seriously, but she is hoping that whatever friendship they had in the circle could extend to now.

“Daenerys” Solas starts, she hums and glances to where he stands with Cassandra and Varric, waiting on her orders, on what to do next, where to go. She turns back to her letter and signs it before rolling it up. She stands from the table and steps closer to Cassandra.

“I thought Barris might be more willing to help if the request came from me” She admits and hands the letter to Cassandra who nods in agreement.

“You wished to visit the Spire” Cassandra reminds her. “We can go now if you wish...before nightfall and tomorrow we can seek out this Red Jenny individual and then you can attend to Vivienne de Fer's invitation,” Daenerys grabs her cloak from the back of the chair behind her.

“Are you sure we have the time?” Daenerys asks Cassandra as she clips her cloak to her armour. After the run-in with the Templars, Daenerys had wanted to change into something more durable, just in case. No one had argued with her.

“Of course we do” Cassandra assures her, she came to Val Royeux for them, they have some time to spare for her to do something personal, when she has already done so much for them. Given so much for them. Her life has been turned upside down because of the breach. She has become the only thing that stands between the breach and Thedas' total destruction. They owe her everything.

….......

“It's all gone” Daenerys whispers as she makes her way through the debris of the Spire. Her home for almost ten years. There is nothing left standing. Desks are torn apart. Bookshelves emptied. Magical scorch marks on the walls. Bodies, burnt, and skeletons litter the floors.

“Sorry, kid” Varric tells her softly. She nods a little and takes a deep breath. They all know that those bodies could have been of her friends, her comrades, the people she grew up around. Even templars that guarded her. She has yet to truly say how she feels about the order, so for now, they assume she wouldn't have hated those around her, she does not seem like the type. Daenerys suddenly realises something.

“No” She whispers and then hurries away.

“Daenerys” Cassandra scolds as she, Solas, and Varric hurry after her. They don't know what is further in, if there are any threats. She needs to be careful. But her mind is on one thing.

….........

Daenerys almost trips in her haste to get up the stairs, Solas right behind her. She might just get herself killed because she is panicking. Solas hurries and grabs her arm to stop her from moving closer to the room ahead of them.

“Wait” he scolds and lifts his staff, he knocks it against the ward that has been erected in the doorway, meant to hit anyone that attempts to pass through it. He gives Daenerys a look, she sighs a little, knowing she got lost in the excitement and her worry. He dispels them and motions for her to go ahead. That it is safe now. Daenerys hurries into the room. Solas, Cassandra, and Varric follow her inside. This room has been untouched by the war. The wards protecting it from damage and intrusion. And just as she left it. She knows, that compared to the rest of the mages in the Spire, she had it comfortable. She knows. It's why she shared anything she could. Younger mages would sleep on her floor when they got scared. Her friends would fall asleep studying in her room. She shared.

“What is this room?” Cassandra asks. Daenerys touches the wardrobe doors and smiles.

“It was mine” She answers. “When I left...I had a friend that was staying here...I told her to use my room, it was bigger, safer....she must have put up the wards when she left” she opens the wardrobe doors and smiles. Right where she left it. A huge chest settled at the bottom of the wardrobe. She reaches in and lifts it up and out before setting it down again. She drops to her knees in front of the chest and runs her hand over the top of it. the runes etched into the wood light up with her touch. She lifts the lid to reveal three dragon eggs inside.

“Are those?” Cassandra asks over Daenerys' shoulder.

“Great Dragon eggs” Solas answers for her. “Where did you get them?”

“They were a gift,” Daenerys tells him as she picks up one of the eggs, drawing her fingers over the scales and then sets it back next to the other eggs. “They are simply petrified now....nothing more than stone” She assures them as she stands, Solas watches her, because he feels different. Those eggs are just waiting for the right situation, the right environment. And she has no idea what she has in her possession. Or maybe she does and he has no idea about her. “I thought I'd lost them forever...”

“Why didn't you take them with you?” Varric asks her.

“We could not carry the chest” She admits as she closes the lid again. “And we did not have the time” she touches the top and lets out a breath.

“I will send word to the scouts” Cassandra offers. “Get them to meet us and collect it”

“Thank you,” Daenerys tells her warmly. “They mean a lot to me...this means a lot”

“I think it is the least we could do,” Cassandra tells her and then leaves to find some scout. Daenerys lets out a breath and stares down at the chest.

…........

Daenerys stands outside of the Spire watching the scouts load the chest onto a small carriage cart. They understand the need to protect it's contents even if they are unaware of just what is in it. Solas watches her, studies her. He is aware those eggs are more than just petrified fossils of the past and he is curious as to why Daenerys was the one to be given them. There is something to her, something about her blood that hums with old magic. She sighs a little and pulls her cloak closer to her body, her eyes on the cart as it is lead away from the city, scouts and armed guards watching over it. She hates to send her eggs away again, but there is little for them here, and she cannot carry them back to Haven herself. She has to part with them, for now. She turns to Cassandra as she steps up to her side. The sky around them darkening as night falls. They need to rest now. And continue in the morning.


End file.
